State of Nature
by lefty31289
Summary: Upon Voyager's return home, Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are arrested. At their trial, all is not what it appears. Kathryn and Chakotay warn of an impending attack that will reduce mankind to a state of nature. Will anyone listen?
1. If You're Goin' Through Hell

This story is not mine. I'm just picking up were Monkan left off. The original story is titled "Time To Go Back" and is still posted if you want to read it. I just fixed some grammar, Americanized some of the English, and ran spell check. I did edit parts of the story just so it can run a little smoother and changed something at the beginning, but other than that, I've tried to keep the original chapters the same as much as possible. The first four chapters are Monkan's, everything after is mine.

Quicky about the title, "State of Nature." It's a theory by Thomas Hobbes, a political scientist around the time of John Locke. I'll explain the theory as the story progresses, but the state of nature, in short, is what humans are like in their most basic forms, just fighting for survival. There's a little more to the theory, but I'll talk about it more as the story goes on.

Rating: M for sexual situations, languish, violence, pregnancy, rape, child abuse.

Genres: AU, romance, angst, tragedy, mystery, Sci-fi, fantasy, time-travels… More may turn up

Pairing: Chakotay/Janeway, Chakotay/OFC, Tom/B'Elanna

Read, Enjoy and Review.

Part 1

Fireworks lit up the sky and the most beautiful planet filled the view screen of Voyager's bridge. Earth… Home. They had made it home through the Delta Quadrant. 7 years of fears, hard work, and a small hope of seeing home again. This hope was tested many times over the years, but there were always good times to help keep the hope alive. Cheers could be heard from all over the ship, people embracing each other. B'Elanna and Tom were in sickbay with their little baby girl, Miral. On the bridge Tuvok and Harry Kim stood at their usual stations with Seven of Nine between them at the command consol. Ensign Ayala was at the helm after Tom left and Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay in their chairs on the command center.

A tear slide down Kathryn's cheek, "I can't believe it."

Chakotay watched her from his seat. He reached out a hand and grasped hers. She turned her head to look at the man she loved.

"You did it."

"We did it." She corrected.

"Yes my love, we did it." He smiled back at her and without any more thought he stood up and took the few steps that put him in front of Kathryn and pulled her up from her chair. She didn't resist and when he put his hand in her hair everyone had stopped with what they were doing and looked at what was happening. Harry Kim had quietly opened a comm. channel and the entire ship listened as they held their breath.

"You are so beautiful Kathryn."

"Flattery will get you nowhere right now, Chakotay." Everyone could hear the amusement in her voice.

"So what will?" He asked just as amused.

"You know what will."

"Yes, I do. But the rest of the crew doesn't."

There was an audible gasp around the ship. They couldn't believe what they just heard.

"Yes you're right." There were a sigh behind that.

"I believe they'll find a way to accept it." He was playing with her face, trailing his finger across her jaw, cheeks, and nose and when he came to her lips her tongue came out to lightly lick his finger before retreating into her mouth again. His other hand had come to rest on her waist.

"Chakotay, shut up and kiss me."

"Aye, Captain."

Being the good first officer he was, he obeyed his captain's order. He intended to make most of the opportunity as he could.

Kathryn's arms reached around his neck to lightly grip his hair just as they pressed their bodies together. His tongue exploring her mouth like he always did when he kissed her, and with the crew watching them he intended to make a show that would leave them with no doubt that she was his. Of course the main agenda was to make her want more when they were alone.

Much more.

It worked pretty well, only Kathryn knew what kind of game Chakotay would play to get what he wanted. But she would make him work for it. Later.

They broke apart with the whistling and gigantic cheers from the crew as they applauded for them.

"Way to go Commander, finally." They heard Tom say over the comm.

Chakotay smiled down at Kathryn and planted a little kiss on her nose.

They should only know.

The next moment a transporter was heard and at least two armed security details appeared along with Admirals Paris, Nechavey and Geaordan.

"Admiral Paris, what is going on?" Kathryn asked, confusion coloring her voice. However, the three Admirals' saw through her act.

"It's over Captain. We are taking you and Mr. Chakotay into custody. There will be trail later," Admiral Nechavey said, with just a hint of glee in it. Her distaste for the captain was legendary, but this was defiantly a new low.

"What for?" Tuvok asked, with a raised brow, from his station.

Admiral Paris walked to her and in death seriousness and asked, "Who are you Kathryn?"

Five day's later: court room.

The buzz of low chattering and whispering echoed around the gigantic room in the middle of Starfleet headquarters in San Francisco.

The entire Voyager crew was there along with their families and friends. Despite the fact the courtroom was packed, someone found room for all the reporters and the other random people who had the right contacts to witness the legendary event.

Some couldn't believe what was about to happen: The Intrepid Class Voyager's command team was being court-martialed. For what purpose, nobody knew.

"All rise."

Every one rose as the judge came into the room. Pellowa Stinftly was a Betazoid in her late thirties. She was considered by many to be one of the best judge's in the whole Federation, and had presided over the Female Shape-shifter's War Crimes trial at the end of the Dominion Wars.

"Please be seated," she said as she made her way to her seat. "Will the accused please step forward?"

Kathryn and Chakotay were led into the room and stood together in front of the judge.

"I have been briefed on the case, but I would like to hear the details from accusers. Will the three Admirals please step forward and explain the charges brought?"

Admiral Nechavey rose, and after nodding her head to thank the judge, gave Kathryn a small, contemptuous smirk. She then faced the courtroom and began her speech.

"A few weeks ago, information was discovered which prove that Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay are not who they say they are. We believe that they could be spies from a new race we have yet to encounter or possibly have connections to the Dominion.

"When we looked up theirs files, we couldn't find anything about these two people. When I shared my concerns with Admiral Paris about Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay. He said Admiral Janeway had a daughter and that she and her fiancé Lt. Justin Tighe accompanied him on his final away mission. We looked over documents from that incident, including scans taken by the rescue team and their reports. Upon further review we discovered several reported scans that we wanted a closer look at. The ship was never found, nor any other bodies. When asked what happened shortly after she was rescued, Ensign Janeway claimed she couldn't remember anything past arriving in the Tau Ceti system.

"Scans taken the planet's surface came back with nothing conclusive, although rescuers did pick up what the leader of the away mission, Lt. Greg Austin, believed was some sort of highly advanced cloaking device. He also found it strange that they would find no debris, no evidence of anyone else, and Ensign Janeway unconscious on the middle of an ice cap. To quote from Lt. Austin's report, 'We picked up a human female's life sign before we even beamed down to the planet… If I didn't know better, I'd almost think she was planted. Things were a greater mystery still when her bio readings didn't match what was on file.'

"That last sentence was later struck from copies of the report, but could still be found on the original document. It was changed after Ensign Janeway was scanned at Starfleet Medical and the bio signs matched. Along with the original report are the bio signs of Ensign Kathryn Janeway prior to being rescued. It was later ruled as wrong information provided by whoever had given it to the rescue party. A decision was made at the time not to pursue the matter further and to disregard the rescue team's suspicions. Most of the information presented in the reports have been ignored until now. However, we believed that something bigger was going on and, 20 years later, went looking for the crash site.

"Your honor, last week a science vessel found the crash site where Admiral Edward Janeway, Lt. Justin Tighe, AND Ensign Kathryn Janeway died on impact. They found her in Justin's arms and the cold temperature had left all three bodies intact. The bio signatures given to the rescue team matched the women at the site. They also found out Kathryn Janeway hair color is brown, but not with a hint of red. This change in hair pigmentation was explained away in her medical file as some after effect of the crash and exposure to the planet's climate.

"However, the doctor who examined Ensign Janeway after the crash, Dr. Ellen Hanson, appeared at Starfleet Medical a week prior to the crash and disappeared less than two weeks after the examination. No one had heard of her before her transfer, and no one can locate any information about her, except what had been planted in Starfleet's database. Our intelligence department discovered this while searching for any spies that could be in the system. It was this information that originally led to our investigation.

"The same red flags go up for Chakotay. The few survivors from Devoran V said that Kolopak had a son and he left his tribe to join Starfleet and later on the Maquis. But not long into his rebel activities he led an attack against a Cardassians. Unbeknownst to the Maquis, it was a trap and all members of his team were taken prisoner. Surprisingly, he escaped and made his way back to a Maquis base. Some said he looked different, but it was assumed that whatever the Cardassians did to him caused this change. Upon request, the Cardassian Interim Government provided Starfleet with the remains of Chakotay and the rest of the assault team. They all died in a Cardassian prison.'' She stopped and took a much needed breath. Some were amazed at her ability to say all of that without a break. Others chalked it up for her contempt for Voyager's Captain and hate for the former Maquis next to her.

"Who they are, we don't know. What we do know is their act has fooled not just us and their entire crew, but their family as well."

She paused to see the reaction to her words. The shocked silence around her was almost alive and touchable; the crew of Voyager was stunned from what the heard. Even little Miral could almost sense the tension and started to softly cry.

"We are here today to get some answers and if they don't say anything we will be forced to take greater measures."

The judge absorbed the news.

Kathryn leaned over to Chakotay's ear and whispered something that made him agree.

"Kathryn Janeway, step into the chair."

She did, now she stood beside Nechavey. "Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes your honor."

"Then who are you?"

"The one I've always been, your honor."

"And that would be..."

"Kathryn Janeway."

Soft murmurs could be heard throughout the courtroom.

"Order!" Pellowa said hitting her club in the table.

"Ms. Janeway, will you please tell us way there is no record of you or Mr. Chakotay?"

"We are not registered here," she stated.

"Why not?" Pellowa asked a little annoyed.

She didn't say anything.

"Will you please answer the question?"

Once more the room was death silence.

Pellowa sighed. "Ms. Janeway, I am here to decide what to do with you, and with your refusal to answer my questions can lead to very serious consequences if you do not defend yourself."

Kathryn's lip started to move but before she said anything she looked at Chakotay. "To set things right and…"

"Yes. Set thing right and…?" Nechavey said with a glint in her eye that Chakotay didn't like.

"Nothing. Your honor." Chakotay replied.

"Damn it why won't you say something?" Nechavey yelled at Kathryn.

"Because it would be a crime to TPD." Kathryn almost yelled back.

"And what the hell is TPD?"

Again she didn't answer. Nechavey was getting really angry now.

"Did you have sex with the Maquis leader?"

"What?" Came both their shouts while whispering in the audience was grew louder.

"You heard me."

"Your honor," Chakotay started.

"My personal relationship with Chakotay is none of your damn business and has nothing to do with these proceedings!"

"I disagree. Did you or did you not take him to your bed?"

"This can't be right." Admiral Paris said. "Is it Katie?" He asked using one of her nicknames.

This time the murmurings among the audience grew even louder. "Are you in love with him?"

"Order!"

Someone in the back screamed 'whore' to Kathryn.

Some gasped at that, even Kathryn herself.

But before the person in the back could say anything more some of the Voyager crew came to her defense. "Shut up you coward," they yelled back. B'Elanna was among those who sat near him. While trying to reassure Miral, who had started to cry, she went to attack the man who insulted her captain. It took Tom, Ayala, Chell and Jarron to hold her back.

Many of the crew were pissed about what the Admiral had stated, and the few security guards posted looked at the restless crowd nervously while they waited for reinforcements to arrive. They really didn't want to have to calm a riot in the courtroom. The noise soon became deafening. The judge banged her gavel and tried to silence them but to no effect.

"Yes." Somehow that one answer rose above all the noise and seemed to silence the room as everyone held their breath. "Yes," Kathryn repeated. "I love him. I have for years."

Everyone was stunned at what they were hearing.

"I've loved him for a very long time and I will always love him." She was now standing up from her chair and nodded to Chakotay to come to her. When he reached her side he slipped an arm around her waist while she slipped her arm around his, holding each other closely. "We love each other more then you can imagine and we are never going to leave each other. I have loved Chakotay for a very long time and had to fight for it long before we came here. Being stranded out in the Delta Quadrant was actually a relative peace, considering what we've been through, and gave us time to fall even more in love."

Chakotay squeezed her waist and continued for her. "We came here to escape from our past and build a new future. You can't punish us for that and if you do then there is a flaw in the system." He looked down at Kathryn then up again. "I love Kathryn with all my body and soul. Nothing you ever do can change that. She is my…" He looked at the judge and whispered, "… Imzadi.

"If taking someone you love to bed is a crime then you got something wrong with the system. Massively wrong. When it is a crime to hold the one you love when you sleep and kiss her on the lips, to say you love her and know she love you back the system needs to change. I don't see how much better you are from us. Your question is lacking information Admiral. You are going from your own belief what you think is true. Anything else you drag up from our relationship will only prove what is already proven. We - Love - Each - Other and you are the most desperate person we have ever met."

Now it was Pellowa's turn to say a question. "All you say can be made up. I have seen people doing desperate things to try and save themselves. There are no records from either of you about your love or your relationship. How can you prove yourself when our records clearly show you are both dead? You've both been lying to everyone you've ever met for 20 years, why stop now? If you can prove it, I will deny any more questions I see pertaining to this subject."

Kathryn disentangled herself from Chakotay but held onto his hand while she took the step up to the judge and said something to her quietly. What Kathryn whispered into her ear made the judge's eyes go wide. She laid a hand over Kathryn's and mouthed something back with a smile, then turned to Nechavey and said, "Admiral, please continue. However, if you are rude in any way or continue the same line of questioning you will be forced to leave the room. Is that clear?"

"Yes your honor," she said disappointedly. She wanted to know what Kathryn whispered to the judge, but knew that there was no way she could find out right then. So instead she continued, frustration seeping into her voice, "Kathryn Janeway what does TPD mean?"

Kathryn remained silent.

"Chakotay can you answer my question."

He was equal silent.

"ANSWER!" Nechavey yelled.

All that accomplished was making every one jump and little Miral to cry again. The command team, however, remained quiet.

Pellowa had had enough. "Take them away."

Security walked up to them and escorted them out of the courtroom.

When they walked out of the building, they saw people had gathered around the entrance. When the crowd saw Kathryn and Chakotay they started to shout angry and disgusted comments along the lines of 'Maquis whore' and 'Maquis bastard.'

'She probably had sex with him to get him on her side,' someone said angrily

Another replied, 'Yeah, I bet she really worked hard'.

Chakotay took one of Kathryn's hands and squeezed it reassuringly. Then they started walk down the stairs. One of the guards got hit in the head which caused a hole in the security line. Some of the people seized this opportunity by reaching in and grabbing Kathryn by her clothes. Chakotay tried to stop them but someone grabbed his arm and held him back. Kathryn started to fight back but her assailant was stronger and she didn't have much of a chance. The man dragged her to the side so quickly she lost her footing.

"NO..." But it was to late when Chakotay screamed.

Kathryn stumbled to the side and started to fall down the stairs. The sudden movement caused the man to lose his grip on her and nothing could stop her fall. Chakotay reached out his unrestrained hand trying to catch her, but failed.

Kathryn tried to protect her middle section as much as she could. In those few seconds she was falling, time seemed to stand still and she relived the years happy years she'd had on Voyager with Chakotay, how they loved and lived without the crew knowing.

The first time Chakotay had held her in his arms the first week in the Delta Quadrant. The night talks they had about a future and the family they wanted with each other. Every time they had made love on Voyager. Their time on New Earth. The secret dinners together and when she woke up the next morning in his arms. How he would always lay awake and watch her and plant kisses on her shoulder, face, mouth, neck and later on her belly.

Her belly, her baby, their baby. Two month ago Chakotay and she had used a medical tricorder he "borrowed" from sickbay and had in the few seconds confirmed her suspicions. She was pregnant. She hadn't started to show until the final three weeks on Voyager and had just replicated a new uniform, designed to change and look like she had her old uniform on so they could hide her condition from the crew. Even the doctor didn't know. Every time she needed to go to sickbay for a check-up they would deactivate the Doctor and take the necessary scans themselves.

Now she didn't even know if the baby would survive these few moments in time. Chakotay had been such a caring and loving father-to-be, it was so sweet.

The next thing Kathryn knew was the pain in her body when she connected with the base of the stairs, her arms and hands still protecting her belly.

The crowd around them had stopped in fear at what had occurred when Kathryn began to fall. When Chakotay finally came to his senses he broke free from the grasp on his arm, he ran down to Kathryn, where she lay unmoving.

Kneeling down beside her he stroked her face and placed his other hand underneath hers where her hands had slightly lost their protective hold. Tears rolled down his cheeks when his Kathryn opened her eyes to look at him.

"Kathryn..." His voice broke at the end. "Hold on, you'll be alright. You'll see."

"...hold… me ... please."

A medical team arrived and began emergency procedures, starting with scans. The woman scanning her got a shock from the readings. She had watched the live vids from the trail but this was unexpected to say the least. This must have been what she told the judge.

"Will... my baby... survive?" Kathryn asked in fear of the answer.

"At the moment," she said and placed a hand on Chakotay's shoulder. "I need you to keep her calm," she said before turning to the others. "We need to get her to a medical center. Now."

Almost immediately, but what felt like forever to Chakotay, a transport beam beamed them to a medical center. Left was a silence that stretched out over the whole planet.

"Blood pressure is returning to normal."

"It was to close for my taste."

"They are both going to be ok."

Movement could be heard in the dark void. A familiar voice echoed louder then the others.

"She will wake up any moment, Chakotay."

"Thank you Doc, I can never thank you for... I don't think I could go on if anything..."

"You don't need to say anything Commander," Voyager's EMH responded. "If you need my help for anything else…"

"Chakotay," a weak voice interrupted.

A hand reached out to him when he reached her bed side.

"Kathryn," he managed through his tearfully smile. "Everything is going to work out," he said taking her hand in his, entangling their fingers just like they had done on New Earth.

Her throat was dry and her voice didn't seem to want to work. "What..."

"You where pushed outside the courthouse, remember?"

"No...," she said, still in a little bit of a haze. "Wait, a minute, yes I do. There were so many people there. Angry. Shouting things." Her mind felt tired.

Seeing her like this made him want to take her into his arms and take over her pain but he knew he couldn't. But she was strong. They had been through worse both before and during Voyager. That thought helped him relax slightly, although he still had to fight the shaking of an all too familiar fear that threatened to overtake him.

"Rest now Kathryn," he cooed her.

"Chakotay... the baby?" Her eyes wide with fear as a possible scenario escaped into her mind.

"She is alright, Kathryn." A tear ran down her cheek.

The doctor came up to them. "I'm going to give her a sedative so she can rebuild her strength."

Kathryn heard a hiss by her ear and before she fell into a restful sleep she whispered. "You're wrong... it's a he," she said before drifting off, leaving a smiling Chakotay and an eyebrow-raised doctor.

The next day when Kathryn woke Chakotay was there waiting for her. "Hi."

"Hi," he said as he kissed her on her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a rag doll," she said groaning. "Chakotay we can't go on like this."

"No we can't. I could have lost you today and our baby for the second time. The first time almost killed me, and this time I barely managed not to panic. I don't think I could go though it again."

"We have to tell them or someday we'll both get killed before we can complete our mission. It's a risk we can't take."

Chakotay nodded his head and grasped her hand. "I'll call Admiral Paris and ask him to call everyone back, but not before you are better. Kathryn, you realize we can't tell them the whole truth."

Sighing at the protective nature he felt over her, she said, "Yes I know, but before that we have plenty of time to arrange a home for this little one if anything should go wrong." Placing her hand on the slight swell of her stomach she closed her eyes. As if on cue she felt a kick in return making her jump and gasp. She took and placed Chakotay's hand against the spot.

"She sure is an active girl just like her mother." He knew Kathryn wasn't going to let him get away easy.

"You don't get it do you? It is a boy looking just like his father."

"How can you be sure?"

"Intuition. That and boys are bigger then girls, so unless I am caring around a shuttle now when I'm only 4 ½ months along you'll pay my coffee for a month after he's born."

"And if I am right?" He asked with a few suggestions in store.

"It's your choice," Kathryn said.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear making her eyes go wider then when he came to her quarters…

…naked. He had been in Sandrine's, playing poker with some fellow crewmembers. After a promising round, and more than a few too many beers, they had him going along with a bet that he couldn't quiet remember. However, it ended with him in the corridor naked. He had to sneak through half the ship because of course it was in the middle of the shift change that he got stranded.

He swore that night if anything embarrassing happened he would personally make sure Tom Paris had enough time with the Doctor that he'd think three times before trying to do a stunt like this again.

When he finally came to his quarters and typed in his code the doors wouldn't open. He checked the computer and someone had changed his code. So he was trapped, outside, in the corridor, and to make matters even worse he could hear some people coming his way, women, at least seven of them if his hearing wasn't wrong.

"Shit."

Then he asked the computer as a final free place if Kathryn was in her quarters. "Affirmative."

"Thanks spirits..." The voices were getting louder.

He pressed the chime and when the doors opened a stunned Kathryn stood there, eyebrows raised. Her hair was down in a more relaxed style than when she was on duty. Her pink silk robe was on and probably not much else.

Kathryn's eyes widen to the limit at what was at her door step. Chakotay, naked, glorious naked and from the desperate look to the dirty look in his eyes she could see how hard he was getting from looking at her.

It was a very nice view indeed. "Well... this is a nice surprise Chakotay." She smiled at him and when the voices reached her ears she smiled even more.

"Please Kathryn can I come in? I don't want to be known as the ship's naked guy and the thought of how the crew will look at me after this stunt isn't a pleasant one. I'll also have one pissed off Klingon after me for killing Tom."

She stepped back, inviting him in, not even bothering to hide her amused look. "Thanks," he said when he passed her in a hurry, letting the doors close behind him just as the female crewmembers came around the corner, never knowing what they had just missed.

Inside Kathryn's quarters Chakotay went into her bedroom and took her blanket and wrapped it around him. His hard-on was fading with the privacy and getting something to cover himself. When he got out from Kathryn's bedroom it didn't mater because she sat in one of the chairs we her legs crossed leaving very little for his already well informed mind to play with. The upper part of her robe was open just enough to show a hint of cleavage. His eyes darkened again.

Kathryn was having just as much fun looking and admiring Chakotay. Sadly the blanket hid almost everything good, so she had the pleasure of seeing how she made him hotter under the blanket. She was already aroused from the good view at her door.

"So what brings you here, Chakotay? It's not exactly your style to show up naked at my door."

He came closer, took her hand, lifted her up from the chair, lowered himself into it, and placed Kathryn on his lap. She could feel him twist under her butt. "Oh this is getting better and better," she said, her hands taking his and placing them on her stomach. "So, what happened?"

"One of the crew's stunts. They got me drunk and made me go along with a bet."

Sensing his mood she guessed he didn't remember what it was about.

"Somehow I ended up naked in the corridor, with no one around and no clothes, but sober enough to know where I was and what I was missing. I made it to my quarters, unseen between shifts, but my code was changed and I had no other choice but to come here."

"That was some adventure."

His hands were playing with hers for a few minutes before one of his came up and cupped her breast, making her arch her back in approval, groaning with the feelings he was stirring in her. 'So much for a relaxing night,' she thought.

But if he was playing dirty so could she. She arched her back and wrapped her arms around his neck at the same time her butt pressed down on his manhood and she let out a sound that made Chakotay groan in response.

After a few minutes of teasing each other Chakotay couldn't take it any longer and he scooped her up in his arms, making her shriek while he walked into her bedroom. He knew from experience with Kathryn that the carpet would be a bad choice with the desire he felt at that moment and didn't want to hurt her. The blanket he had was left some where on the way to bed.

They got out just before their shift began and a very sated first officer walked onto the bridge intending on making Tom Paris life a living hell.

Later on they thought it was probably that night that made Kathryn pregnant. And that made the memory even sweeter...

"You better make that two months of coffee, commander," Kathryn said playfully.

"Deal. Doctor," Chakotay called.

"What are you doing?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes Commander," Asked the doctor when he got in.

"Are we going to settle this now Kathryn?"

She looked from him to doc and then back again. "Ok. Doctor can you tell us what gender our child is?"

"Delighted, Captain." He went to check some data and then returned whit a smug smile.

"I hope you are ready to pay the captain's coffee." At their shocked faces he added "I only heard your bet because I was on my here to check on you."

"It's a boy." Kathryn asked.

"Yes."

"I told you so Chakotay. Now I hope you have plenty of rations."

"It's also a girl."

"What?" This time it was their joined voices. One shocked and one delighted.

"You are caring twins, one of both genders and they are healthy as long as you are." He left them alone with the news after checking Kathryn's vitals.

Twins. They were having twins. 'What a catch,' thought Chakotay but his thoughts didn't go any farther because Kathryn slapped him hard on the arm. "Ouch. What did you do that for?"

"Because of you now I WILL go around caring a shuttle for another 4½ month. How could you put me in this situation?"

"Admit it Kathryn despite all the hard work you wouldn't give either of them up or regret them for a second. Not now, not when you hold them in your arms," He said with a smile.

"Damn, why do you always hit home no matter what you do to me."

Kissing her on the lips he whispered, "Practice." Then kissed her again until one of the monitors started to beep for Kathryn's lack of oxygen. "If it doesn't work in the next 4 month's think of it as your saving yourself from another pregnancy."

But in his mind Chakotay had no intentions of saving her from another pregnancy when this one was over. He would indeed enjoy every bit of it. If they lived to see their children grow up of course. "Not to mention the caffeine set back you have to learn to live with."

Kathryn groaned again and this time when he bended to kiss her she bit his tongue.

"Ouch…"

One week later.

When the Doctor allowed Kathryn to leave the hospital she felt a little on edge. She knew it was because of the fact they were going to tell them the truth, as much as they were allowed to, anyway.

While Kathryn and Chakotay had spent the week on the hospital they knew rumors about the baby were already wide spread.

Even the man who was responsible for Kathryn's fall had send an apology and get well card, the old fashioned way. He also written if he had known he wouldn't have made it go so far.

His sister had been 4 years old when she had been subjected to abuse while on shore leave. They never found the guilty party. She didn't survive; he couldn't bear to himself be responsible for another innocent life to be taken. In the end he had send yellow roses as a last gift before he left for Kesik 4.

Kathryn felt sorry for him about his sister. It reminded her of what she had left behind, and the memories made her shiver.

"Are you all right Kathryn?" Chakotay said concerned.

"Yes, let's just get this over with."

They walked into the court room, and Judge Pellowa and the three Admirals sat at their places. If it was possible, even more of Voyager's crew's family and friends was there. Phoebe and Gretchen were in the front row. B'Elanna was beside them for security measures, Tom held Miral, and beside him was the rest of the senior staff. Admiral Nechavey had been forbidden to speak, which made every one in the crew happy. It was the judge herself who would question Kathryn and Chakotay.

The meting began.

"I hope you are better now, Kathryn?" Pellowa asked.

"Yes, thank you your honor."

"From last week you left a few loose ends and I hope you can retie them."

"Yes," Chakotay said.

There was a brief silence letting the moment sink in.

"What is TPD?" Pellowa asked.

Kathryn looked at Chakotay before raising her head and answering, "The Temporal Prime Directive."

A stunned silence now filled the room. Kathryn could hear her "mother's" cry when she heard what her "daughter" admitted in court. Phoebe laid her arm around her mother to comfort her and made a hushing sound. This was tearing at Kathryn's heart to hurt one of the few people that had been good to her but it had to be she had to do it. She only hoped that afterward Gretchen could find a way to forgive her.

"Your honor, we asked you all to come here so we could set things straight, we want to begin with..." He paused not sure how to continue.

"We have agreed to tell you about who we are and where we come from," Kathryn finished for him. She dared a glance at the women who had become her mother and her sister. Phoebe gave her a look of hurt, anger, and betrayal. When she had gathered up her courage and looked at Gretchen, she almost started to cry herself at the pain she was causing her. Would have, if it wasn't for Chakotay's hand laced in hers, giving her strength. Strength not to cry, strength to carry on.

Everyone was eager to hear more so no one dared to say anything in case they would miss something.

"We weren't born in the 24 century," Chakotay explained. "We were born in the 49 century. Our names are Kathryn Elizabeth Marie Jennings. And Chakotay, Third Son of Kolopak. To make it simple for you to follow we will tell you from the beginning..."

End Part 1


	2. State of Nature

Part 2

The sky was a deep blood red, just like it always had been for as long as Kathryn could remember. It was summer so the sky stayed red until fall when other colors would take place due to the climate in the higher sky.

She had never seen the sun, only heard of it.

Shadows were everywhere, she observed from where she stood in the doorway. She was hesitating, but knew she had to get moving before nightfall. Everything was bathing in red and shadows. Occasionally there would be some lighter color somewhere, but it was very rare. It looked like the end of a war zone.

Kathryn laughed silently at the irony. It was a war zone.

No one was safe, even if you did know how to protect yourself. Wild animals had evolved from normal earth animals from over 2400 years ago, making it unsafe to travel, alone or in groups.

Nothing was like what she had heard from the elders about this being a beautiful place. Ha! Beautiful! What a joke. Nothing could grow outside. No one was safe among the streets. Men were killed for their hair just so someone else could make a hat or keep warm with it while women were raped in the middle of the day. Children were meals for the animals and birds that stalked the land and sky.

Kathryn took a deep breath and began the trek to the other houses so she could meet her family, who were moving away from this part of the city.

Her cousin had been killed just one week earlier. Her mother had taken it very hard. She believed she should have watched over him, but with the increase of activity in this area she had been distracted and Josh had been dead in a matter of seconds. After, when they found his remains, there hadn't been anything left to bury.

Her innocent 5 year old cousin that didn't know the world he was living in was dead.

"Damn them to hell," Kathryn said to herself.

There were big clans around that promised protection, provided you could pay. Usually they wanted food and supplies, but some of them asked for a younger daughter or, in some cases, a younger son.

The biggest clan leader had been interested in Kathryn. He had seen her one day and the next showed up at her family's home asking for her as a prize.

When she had come out he had caught her hands and tried to take her body. When one of his hands came into contact with her butt and squeezed she'd had enough and hurt him in his most sensitive area.

He cursed her and spat out words that left no doubt that she would pay for it, and she had, with her cousins' life. It was their fault the animals had come through the security fence and Josh had lost his life.

Tears ran down her cheeks. There was no justice.

This broken world. Just because of the attack so long ago. An attack without any reason. No defense against the attackers; nowhere to run and hide.

Kathryn was now on the longest stretch of her journey and started to walk faster. It wasn't wise to go slow through here, especially when you didn't know what was in the bushes.

Suddenly, she stumbled over something that came out of nowhere. Kathryn gasped. A rat, or some kind of relative. It was so big it could consider itself a large cat.

Kathryn sighed in relief, she had to hurry. She was late.

She broke out into a run.

'I hope they don't have to wait to long for me,' she thought to herself

Kathryn was ready to marry and wanted a child more then anything, even if it meant to raise them in this world. She wished, more than anything to marry someone she loved, like her parents. She was engaged with Mark, and although he never made her heart beat faster, she felt safe with him. Who knows? Maybe she would learn to love him. It wasn't that far of a leap, from safety to love, and in a world like this, the safety he provided was enough.

Rain started to fall from the dark sky where the occasional black cloud would appear, soaking this broken world.

Even with the rain falling hard, Kathryn could see smoke rising from a far point down the road.

'Oh God, something has happened.'

She began a death run, thinking she could help whoever was in trouble, but when she got there she nothing was moving. Not even people turning their heads to see who was running up. No one was there. The rain soaked through her clothes, right into her bones. Her long hair was plastid on her head and shoulders.

The closer she got the more familiar the scene became. 'No, it can't be true,' she pleaded. 'Please don't let it be true.'

The wagon was tilted over and the belongings burned down, every personal item destroyed. Among them lay a doll, with a pink and white dress. At least it used to be. Her blond hair was burned away, her little necklace was gone, as well as half her head, crushed. Her doll. Liz. It was her favorite toy as a child.

Kathryn bent down and when she was above Liz, picked her up, and suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly turned around where a dead tree stood. It wasn't the tree that caught her attention, but what was in the tree.

"NO..." Kathryn cried out with all of her strength and collapsed onto the ground. She looked up into the face of her youngest brother. Beaten, bleeding, dirty, dead, and hanging from the tree like some sick ornament.

Beside him was her mother, her clothes was ripped so it left no doubt. She had been raped.

Like her little sister Phoebe that was higher up her face marked with scares, also raped, humiliated, her innocent taken away from her. Beside her was Kathryn's older brother, James, also probably raped. Kathryn's heart had stopped beating by now, but it broke again when she saw her fiancée'. She couldn't tell by his face it was him. That had been beaten in so badly it was unrecognizable. It was the ring on his left hand told her it was him, and the way her heart instinctively lurched when she saw what was left of his body. Even her dog, was in the tree. Some sick freak had, without any doubt, made the most of Molly before they skinned her.

"Oh God, no, no, no, please no. Let me die." Her nose and throat were surprisingly dry and all the blood in her head rushed out, probably to where all the other blood was. In a pool on the base of the damn tree.

"God damn it, who did this," She cried to the corpses. "WHO? Just tell me who and I will kill them. Please come back! Don't leave me! Please God…" Kathryn shouted and sniffed in a mix of anger and grief. A grief that could even break a Vulcan.

In her emotional state she saw one of their knives and, as if in trance, she reached for it. She lifted it to her hand, creating a deep cut across it. The blood didn't feel warm or cold, neither did it hurt. It was like watching through some one else's eyes. Her engagement ring was on her left hand but she felt nothing when she looked at it. Nothing. Mark was dead, her family was dead. When she didn't feel anything from the hand wound, she cut her wrist and the veins beneath the surface.

A noise behind her woke her from her state of grief. She turned to see a morent in front of her, cornering her. Nature had crossed a lion and one of the few alien animals on earth, a Klingon reptile. Nasty creatures. Detected prey like a shark. Blood seemed to call to them and attract blood thirsty morents. And they were always blood thirsty. It smelled the blood from her family and her. She dropped the knife and stumbled backward but collided with the wagon, and a piece of splintered wood pierced her side.

She fell to her knees, holding her side. To spare her mind the last moment of life she closed her eyes. Waiting for the beast to kill her. 'Let me leave this dead world,' she begged whatever god was listening. 'Please let me die.'

Chakotay was on his way home after leaving his friends when he heard a blood chilling scream. He ran as fast as he could toward the scream not knowing how far away it came from. When he got there he saw a woman being attacked by a morent. He reached for his weapon and took a step forward to provoke the beast.

Chakotay dared a look at the woman before he responded to the beast's roar and attack. He succeeded in getting in reach of the only place his specially made knife could penetrate, the chest. He jumped back as fast as he could to not get caught or hurt by the falling animal.

Chakotay was fast, but not fast enough, because morent's claws caught his leg and the sheer weight of it almost broke it.

'Oh spirit's,' he groaned.

Making sure morent was dead Chakotay made his way to the woman, now half lying on the ground. Taking the few steps to her he saw the dead and understood half of what had happen.

He raised her head and the first thought that passed his mind was how beautiful she was. The next she wasn't responding. He saw her wrist and the knife lying beside her.

"Oh no, you are not dying on me," he caught sight of the ring and his heart sank. "Mrs. Unknown."

He scooped her up in his arms and started to run as fast as his leg and the rain would allow, which wasn't fast.

His hair felt as heavy as sea grass out of the water but it was just the beginning of blood loss from his leg that had begun.

Some time during the run he glanced down at her and saw her eyes were focused on him. He smiled down at her while trying to balance them on the soaked grass over to his house. By the time he carried her into his home, she had lost consciousness.

Kathryn could hear voices but not who they belonged to. It was to dark and she was didn't want to do anything else but fall back into the darkness and let it consume her. She couldn't physically cry, but her heart took over that as the darkness overpowered her.

"Chakotay you should know better then to take her here. You saw her clothes. You know what it means to take one of them into our house," Kolopak said to Chakotay, who watched the still form of the woman he saved. He was laying next to her in a room they used for the wounded.

Their medical technology wasn't big but it let them heal smaller wounds and fractures. Blood loss was another thing. Chakotay would feel weak for the next few days, but he didn't care.

"I just couldn't leave her to that morent, father." Chakotay turned his head to look at his father and said, "I don't care what clan she belongs to, I couldn't let her die. You didn't see what I saw, the dead hanging from that tree. You should know what that means better then anyone of us."

Kolopak took a deep breath to calm his rising temper. By the spirit's he knew what that meant! His wife had been a victim of the same "punishment" as they put it. God, why did you give me a son with a soul of a rebel?

"Chakotay, if she doesn't..."

"No." Protested Chakotay almost immediately. "When she gets better."

"When she gets better you better takes her to where you found her and leave her there so she can go home to her people."

"But father, we don't know if she has a family or any relative."

Kolopak looked over to Kathryn and sighed. 'No,' he prayed fervently, 'please don't make my son to fall in love with this woman. I don't know what I will do… We don't need more destruction in our lives right now.'

"Let cross that bridge when we come to it." Kolopak took up a hypospray.

"You need to sleep now Chakotay," he said as he leaned in to give his son a light sedative.

Kathryn ran and ran, felling the exhaustion setting in but she couldn't stay. If she did she would die. Fire blossomed up behind her and she could hear the sound of her followers. A mark was in the sky, a sign she never seen before. Over to the side she could see another body lying on the ground.

A church rose high and proud in front of her. She took her last strength and made a death run to it as she held her crying baby. "Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary."

The leader came right behind her and swung his sword, right at Kathryn's back.

"No!" Kathryn fell to the ground with a gapping hole in her back and the crying baby half crushed under her dead weight. She saw from another view point the leader grab her body and turn her so he could take the child, his face in the dark the whole time.

Looking down on her he turned and walked away...

No, my baby...

"No, not my baby," Kathryn cried out when she shot up from the bed just to fall right down on the floor just as fast. There she lay and cried the whole time over and over about her baby.

Chakotay and Kolopak were startled by the sudden cry that erupted from the other bed and turned just in time to see her fall out of it. Kolopak dropped the hypospary onto the floor.

Chakotay started to get up but felt he didn't have the strength to stand on his own, so he leaned on his father and they made their way around to the other side.

"No, please don't take her," Kathryn cried and when Chakotay knelt beside her. He fell down on his butt because, once again, he was reminded of his lack of strength. He put his hands on her face, making her look at him and then took her hand in his and he felt her trembling.

"'Hush, now. Hush. It's just a dream," Chakotay said, trying to console her. Kathryn opened her eyes and looked into dark chocolate brown eyes. Hers held so much fear and something else he couldn't name: confusion, helplessness… attraction?

'No it's just your imagination, stupid,' he thought quickly.

Kathryn raised her hand to his temple when she saw something that caught her attention, a mark on his forehead. Noticing this mark jolted her out of her dream state and she became aware of what she was about to do. She quickly dropped her hand, shame invading her face as she flushed. She looked up at it again. Where had she seen that mark?

Chakotay let out a breath he wasn't aware he held. She almost touched him.

"It was a dream, wasn't it?" He asked her.

Kathryn was struck by his voice, she understood him. 'Of course you do,' she chided herself. 'Why wouldn't you?' What was it he had asked? Her dream, yes it was a dream. She didn't have a child. "Yes."

Chakotay let out a sigh, at least she hadn't lost a child at the tree, but that didn't make the experience any less life shattering. She started to shake more, and out of instinct, he put his arms around her.

Why was she feeling so safe in his arms? 'I don't care any longer.'

Kathryn suddenly felt very tired and lowered her head to the nape of his neck. Her tears were soaking his shirt and skin, but she felt the blissful moment when a silent, quiet, sleep invade her senses.

'I don't ever want to leave his arms,' she silently realized. The last thought that passed through her mind was the knowledge of his tattoo and where she had seen it. It was the mark in the sky in her dream. Darkness invaded her senses before she could wonder what it meant.

Neither of them saw Kolopak from the other side of the room, watching them from the doorway. This was not good, not good at all. Some higher power was working with his son and that woman.

'Perhaps the Spirits made it their destiny to meet this way. Like enemies from two different clans in this world, they already have a special bond between them. There is nothing I can do now. If it is the wish of the Spirits, I won't stand in their way.

"Just don't let me lose my son…" Kolopak whispered to himself as he quietly made his exit.

Kathryn woke up some time later to the gentle feeling of being rocked back and forth like a child, just like her father did when she was little. Her mother had done it to Phoebe instead and let her husband spoil Kathryn rotten with his love.

He was always there when Phoebe needed her father, but since Kathryn was the first born, she held a special place in his heart. She was his little golden bird. It was in those moments he would tell her anything she wanted to know and...

Wait a minute… Her family was dead. So... who the hell was rocking her? Kathryn heard a voice that was defiantly not her father's.

She opened her eyes and looked up into the same chocolate brown eyes she had seen when she passed out.

'My God they are beautiful,' she thought as she felt herself drown in them. When she tried to move she moaned as her muscles protested at the shock from being used again.

Chakotay felt her move before she moaned and knew she was awake.

"Hi." He looked into her orb blue eyes.

"Hi." Her throat felt like it had been dragged along a stone road, behind a wagon, and down a hill. Would it ever feel better?

"What is your name," the man asked.

"Kathryn. And you?"

"Chakotay," he said as he smiled down at her. If she wasn't already lying in his lap she would have fallen.

Wait. Go back. She was laying in his… Oh God. The next thing she noticed was the style of this room and his clothes.

'My God, I have to get away from here.'

Kathryn tried to get up but found it impossible.

Chakotay felt her stiffening. "Kathryn, you are not in danger. I brought you here so you could recover. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here."

"Ok, I believe you," she whispered.

Fat chance she believed him, but she realized she had to stay so she could get her strength back. The next second she heard the hiss of a hypospray and then blackness.

Over the next week Kathryn found out she enjoyed the company of this Chakotay fellow. Since he lived in the same room as her, she spent her days talking to him. They found out they had more in common then they first thought. Kathryn told him of her family and how she was on her way to them and how she found them. She told him about Mark and her father.

"I always looked up to my father. He was the best man I ever knew."

"How did he die?"

"Protecting me. When we were on visit to my grandparents a monster came through the grid and attacked me. My father jumped in and killed it. He died later of his injuries. The next man I could ever trust that wouldn't leave me was Mark. I always felt secure in his arms. I loved him more then a brother but less then a lover. Do I make any sense?"

"Yes, you do." Chakotay took her hand and watched the ring on her left finger.

He in turn told her about his mother and his life as the third son of Kolopak and his two other brothers that he never knew.

"My oldest brother, Kierko, was still-born."

"Oh I'm so sorry Chakotay."

"My parents took it very hard at first. My mother was afraid of letting my father near her in case she got pregnant again and lost the child. She blamed herself for it."

"But she got over it?"

"It took a few years, but yeah, she did. Then she became pregnant with their second child, another son. He survived and her fears of losing her babies went away. He died in a street fight among some other older boys when he went to buy some food and supplies. They robbed him after they beat him. He died during the winter storm that came a few hours later that year. My father couldn't go looking for him because it was too dark and my mother was in labor with me. The doctor couldn't get to them in time; it went to fast so my father had to help her. At the same time I was born my brother died of the cold and his wounds."

"When did you find out about this?"

"My mother had drinking problem after that. Once when I got home she was so drunk she yelled, shouted, blamed, and accused me for her losing her son. No one was in the house at the time but us.

"My father was out to hunt, and she lost her temper and ended up hitting me. I was five years old then and as any little kid, her words were craved into my heart forever."

"How horrible." Kathryn was close to tears.

"The next day when she was sober, and when my father got home, they saw the bruises on my cheek and asked me what had happened. She didn't remember what the events of the day before."

"Chakotay," came his mother's voice when she saw him. "What happen? Kolopak it's Chakotay."

"What?" He came into the kitchen. "Chakotay, what happen?"

"Notting." mumbled the young Chakotay while his mind replayed the events from yesterday and the words his mother said.

She took him by his arms. "Chakotay, please we can't help you if you don't let us know what happen."

That was the limit for Chakotay and he tore from his mothers grasp.

"W'y do you want to 'elp me? I s'ould not been born t'en you wouldn't 'ad to be so sad 'cause of my older brot'er." He screamed at them with his broken English.

They stood planted on the spots. "Chakotay, what are you talking about?"

His mother reached out to him again.

"Don't toc' to me. If I 'adn't been born that day you would still 'ave my older brot'er wit' you and not me, cause I am a fu...fu...fuck...fucking mistake." Tears ran down his cheeks. "I was never meant to be, I am a wron' step by a slyt and a... fuck...ogasm crazy plick. Ma'be dat ba'tard woldn't be so..."

Kolopak grabbed his son's arms. "Who said it Chakotay, who?" He was boiling over with rage at whoever could have said this to his son. He knew words like that weren't meant to come out of the mouth of a five year old boy.

Tears blinding him but he could still see the door step out of the house. "Mom..." he whispered before dashing to the door and out of the house. Running for hours and hours. He didn't return the next day or the next. Kathryn reached out and stroke the tear that slid from his eye while tears ran from her own.

"What happen?" Kathryn asked.

"I didn't return home for two weeks, I starved myself on the way. I was all the way to the border when some one recognized me and brought me home. I didn't talk to my mother for years, and when we did, we where strangers. Just our common facial features told we were family. I was 17 when I started talking to her again. She hadn't taken a single drop of alcohol since I ran away. That day we talked was the day she died. Killed by some clan that wanted her, but since she was married no one could have her. A jealous clan leader killed her so no one would have her. Later I asked father why they didn't have another baby during the years after me. He told me after the first week of my disappearance mom stabbed herself with a knife and destroyed her chances of ever having children again."

Kathryn didn't know what to say. "I…I am…so terribly sorry Chakotay..."

They embraced each other and held on tight.

The second week they grew closer and, slowly, returned to health together. A big challenge came when Chakotay had to move to another room. Kathryn was miserable, Chakotay was miserable, but when Chakotay could finally get up again and walk around he went to visit Kathryn.

Neither of them saw what was happening.

Finally the day came when Kathryn could get out of her own bed. She took unsteady steps to the door, almost falling twice. But she made it and outside and she stood on the top stair over looking the lower level. Servants stopped with what they where doing and looked up to her on her feet again and were happy to see that she was progressing nicely.

A door on the ground level opened and out came Chakotay, with a cane. He didn't see her until he was about to go upstairs. The sight he saw when he looked up took his breath away. There, standing upstairs, stood Kathryn in her white gown and smiling down at him. She looked like an angel with her hair out and framing her face beautifully.

His heart hammered in his chest.

Later that night, when Kathryn was sleeping, her door opened quietly. In came a dark figure that moved slowly, but without a sound. He sat down on Kathryn's bed and looked at her. The shifting mattress made her wake up, but she held her eyes closed until she felt a soft hand caress her face. She stared up into black eyes as the owner made eye contact.

Kathryn felt her breath came in small pants. "What are you doing here Chakotay?"

He trailed his fingers over her lips, feeling how she trembled now.

"I couldn't sleep Kathryn. I know you feel what is between us."

"Yes." came her breathless answer.

"I tried to forget it but I can't any longer. I need you. I... I..." What did he have to lose? "I love you, Kathryn."

She was shocked to hear him say this, but she suddenly realized why. It wasn't because of his words but because she had been afraid he didn't love her. When did she start to love him? What was it she fell in love with? How did this even happen?

"I'm sorry Kathryn if you are offended by this," he said quietly. He had misread her silence as a rejection. "I'll leave now."

"No, please Chakotay, wait," Kathryn said as she came up from her bed. When she reached him she threw herself into his arms and kissed him hard and passionate.

He returned it with equal force and when they broke apart he nibbled at her lower lip. She led him back to her bed and kissed him once more.

They fell onto her bed as the passion increased and they both knew they wouldn't be able to stop if they continued, however, neither wanted to stop.

"Kathryn if you don't want to do this you better tell me now. I won't forgive you if you're just toying with me," Chakotay said with a hint of seriousness in it.

So this was the moment of truth. "I love you, Chakotay. Just be careful."

That caught his attention. "Kathryn, are you a virgin?"

When she nodded a smile crept on his lips. This beautiful woman was untouched and pure from the source and he was the one to seal that with his desire. She felt a little unsure of what to do next so she dropped small kisses wherever she could reach.

That was all he needed and he started to explore her. Both were so caught up with what they were doing they didn't notice the slight twinkle of light on the sky outside their window. Some new and old visitors had arrived back to where it all started.

The next morning Chakotay woke up to the feeling of Kathryn draped over his chest, drawing imaginary circles. Her long hair cold to the touch but just as silky as it had been last night in his fingers. He entwined a lock onto his finger.

"I didn't know you were so talented, Chakotay."

"Disappointed?"

"God no. I am just a little sore right now, but I'm yours whenever you want me."

"Be careful with what you offer, Kathryn. You may get more then you bargain for."

"I hope so." She started to kiss him and soon the passion again rose to new heights.

"Time to get up... Oh. My. God…" One of the maids that had reasonability over Kathryn this month just walked in to find Kathryn and Chakotay kissing very passionately and naked in bed. As soon as they heard her they broke apart and sat up clutching the sheets to them so they could hide whatever she didn't need to see.

Marie couldn't believe what she just walked into. "I should leave you to get dressed."

"Marie, I would appreciate if you didn't say anything to any one else of what you saw here," Chakotay said as he hurried past her in a blanket and closing the door before her.

Marie looked stunned and amazed around to Kathryn where she clutched another blanket around her, looking ratter embarrassed being caught like this. Marie started to laugh. This was unbelievable. Here she was, a poor, simple maid, walking in on the son of the master of the house, in bed with a woman he shouldn't be involved with at all and now begging her not to say anything so his father wouldn't hear about it.

When she calmed down a little she agreed with not saying anything only if they kept her informed with how it went for them.

"What can I say, I'm hopeless romantic," Marie concluded.

They breathed out a sigh of relief. "I would hug you if it wasn't for my sate of dress right now." Chakotay said. "And I don't know if Kathryn would approve of it."

Marie looked a little embarrass at Kathryn. "As long as he doesn't kiss you, I wouldn't really see the problem. Although the fact that you're naked might make her a little uncomfortable…"

"I leave you alone right now, but breakfast will be ready in about an hour," Marie replied as she left.

Chakotay locked the door and walked back to Kathryn. "I think I can make it twice in one hour. Wanna try?"

Kathryn just laughed and kissed Chakotay while she dragged him down on top of her on the bed.

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They looked around the dead planet. They had done this. They were responsible for this and now, all these years later, it still didn't look good. One of them scanned the ground with a tricorder, a sad expression shadowed the beautiful face of a young woman with red spots along the side of her head and neck.

"Well?" The man said to her.

"There is nothing we can do, this planet is beyond help. It's going to self destruct in a matter of months. The chemicals coming from the holes are already deadly if inhaled. It will destroy all organic life forms in seconds." She closed the tricorder.

"This is our responsibility," he said to her. "Our ancestors' mistake is our responsibility."

The man looked around. "They're almost out of time. I had hoped…" his voice trailed off before he said with a sad determination, "Unfortunately no hope can replace what we did to them. We need to find someone to send back to save their world, but it can't be just anyone, or they could just make matters worse. We must choose carefully, and we must find them soon."

The female nodded in agreement. "We better start looking now. Soon, not even we will be able to be here."

End Part 2


	3. Reality

Part 3

Over the next few weeks Kathryn and Chakotay saw each other every day. They acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, that they were just good friends. They would sneak away just to hold each other and share kisses away from prying eyes. In the nights they were much closer.

Chakotay didn't like hiding it from every one. To be honest it scared him.

Not to be able to trust any one except the maid of his feelings for Kathryn. Lying to his father had been hardest. It's not easy to lie to some one that is your only family, especially one who you had learned to respect and rely on when you had no one else around you.

He thought about the way his life was turning out while they where walking down to what used to be a beach so many years ago, but was now just a stretch of nasty sand next to murky green water. They held hands when they were sure no one would see them. They walked in silence, just enjoying the company.

He felt guilty not to have told his father, but if any one would be against his relationship with Kathryn it was him. Chakotay sighed.

But if he could turn back time, he wouldn't. He never regretted meeting Kathryn. Not once. She made him feel peace and love in his heart. Lately she seemed thoughtful and her eyes would glaze over as if she were peering into some distant world. When he asked her what was wrong she lied so badly he got worried.

Kathryn may be beautiful, strong, compassionate, and loveable, but she was still an enigma to him. She had become more and more quiet like she was working something out in her mind.

"What are you thinking?"

Kathryn looked up at Chakotay. "Nothing, darling."

He didn't believe her, he knew her too well. "Come on Kathryn, you can tell me."

She would tell him sometime, that he was sure of. But that didn't strop him from trying to find out earlier.

"I just..." She stopped, not sure how to continue. "What do you feel for me?"

"What?" Chakotay stopped walking.

"I mean are your feelings strong enough for me that you would stay with me if your father finds out about us?"

She felt like everything depended on what Chakotay answered. She felt horrible to doubt his feelings, but she had to know.

Chakotay couldn't believe what he was hearing, was she actually serious? The look in her eyes told him so. How could she not know how he felt. In the way he kissed her, how he touched her, and, not to mention, how they made love together. It was like his soul depended on it every time. After, when he held her he never had felt so satisfied like with Kathryn. It felt like he had finally found his soul mate. He had learned what heaven really meant. He was there with Kathryn every day and every second he was with her.

He took a step closer. "Kathryn, my love, never doubt how I feel about you." He stepped even closer. He could see the rapid breathing coming from Kathryn. "I will never, ever, leave you." His mouth was just inches away from hers when he lightly brushed his lips against hers. Kathryn gasped.

Trying to hold back she said.

"Thank you for getting me a job under your father."

"My pleasure." Chakotay breathed.

Kathryn sighed when their lips once again lightly touched.

It was all he could take before he claimed her mouth in a passionate and demanding kiss.

Kathryn sometimes felt shy about her inexperience in this kind of area.

Mark never roused this kind of feelings the few times he kissed her. With Chakotay it was almost scary, but in a good way.

The kiss should be enough to tell her how he felt, but now she felt in lower regions how she affected him.

'Maybe I can tell him,' she thought. 'He's going to find out eventually, this is kind of hard to hide for long…'

Pressing her hips into his she made him groan and his arms went around her waist. One hand slid to her butt to pull her closer while he grinded himself into her. Desire almost overwhelmed him. Damn, this woman knew how to play the game.

Soon the air depletion was a more demanding matter and they parted only long enough for each other to gasp in a few needed breaths until they resumed again. Kathryn's hand moved from his chest to the nape of his neck where she griped at anything she could grasp. While her hips moved...

"Chakotay." A voice said and they broke apart and turned to see Kolopak standing a few meters away. They both knew they were blushing.

Kolopak's face was cut out of stone. Not a single emotion showed on his face. He had suspected that something was going on between his son and that woman. Now he knew it was worse then what he first thought. 'Spirit's they are lovers,' he thought.

There were rules that you had to live by and never break. One was not to engage in sexual activities with some one that stands under the protection of another clan. If it was proven, it could lead to exile or even death.

'I've all ready lost my wife and two sons. Please don't let me lose my last son too.'

Ever since Chakotay had brought her to their house that fateful night Chakotay hadn't been able to look elsewhere. The way he would watch her as she slept when they shared the sick room together... It was just as he'd done with his wife when they met all those years before. When it had come time to decide what they would do with her, Chakotay hadn't been reasonable, and refused to be talked into other things, like returning her to her clan. His feelings for her were evident in his every move.

Kolopaksighed. There had been a time when he had felt like that and he could still remember the bliss from it. It was almost like candy for your soul: the taste of it could erase many things, even the most bitter moments, from your mind and make you completely defenseless in front of the journey you would take. The feel of it would never leave your senses. It could wrap around you and tease you until you would go crazy.

When they no longer shared rooms while they recovered, it had grown every time he came near her. He could see it in his son's eyes.

The night Chakotay had rocked Kathryn, yes he could use her name more often he realized, Kolopak had felt stunned at the show of emotions his son showed for the then still unknown woman, even though he had just met her. After how Rakel had been his girlfriend and how she treated him Chakotay, had closed up like a shell.

Never letting anyone in.

There is only so much pain someone can take before they reach the line and break down from the weight of it. It was almost like a defense mechanism we all have, it's just that some put it up more quickly than others.

Rakel… There's a story that could cover three holy scripts. How she could control and manipulate those around. Manipulate his son…

But he couldn't worry about that yet.

"Chakotay, come with me." Kolopak turned and started to walk back to their house.

It took a moment before Chakotay or Kathryn could even move. There could be no colder showers than being caught by his father. Any arousing feelings Chakotay had felt a moment ago was long gone, or at least limp, to be precise.

Kathryn stiffened in his arms before they followed Kolopak.

When they reached the house Kathryn left Chakotay's secure arm that had held her around the waist.

In the living room were two people, an old man and a girl. Rakel and her father. Kathryn didn't see any resemblance between the two, but knew that would be a mistake to point out. Besides, the fact that Rakel was pregnant seemed to be the more pressing issue.

"What the hell is that woman doing in your house, Kolopak," demanded the angry man when he saw Kathryn.

"She works for me," Kolopak explained. "She helps with the household and is doing a very good job." He stopped there, not giving him any more information. 'What I owe him is a ticket out of my house if anything,' Kolopak thought to himself, 'not justifications on who I let into my home.'

"Why don't you just send her back to her family? Or did you take pity in her because she was probably a bastard child with no home?" He made these comments with amusement in his voice.

Chakotay couldn't stand this man insulting the woman he loved. "Her family is dead." His voice was almost black with rage. "They were murdered."

Not taking any pity on Kathryn the man continued. "I don't think she has any reason to be here while we talk. Tell her to leave," he stated matter-of-factly, completely dismissing the fact Kathryn was standing right in front of him.

Kolopak nodded his head to Kathryn, signaling he to leave. As she walked up the stairs, she missed the dark look Rakel gave her when she saw Chakotay look after her.

In her room Kathryn sat down on the bed. She could hear bits and pieces on what was going on downstairs when someone yelled or spoke louder.

Kathryn closed her eyes as her mind brought everything she heard together. Rakel, baby, Chakotay, and marriage.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but this time no one was there to brush them away.

Was this how she would lose Chakotay, the man she loved with all her heart? It wasn't fair. Not when she was in this situation. If he married Rakel then she had to leave.

Kathryn laid down on the bed, her head resting on the pillow. Tears found their way to her ears and hair. She always hated to cry, thought it made her look weak. But for once it felt good to cry tears she held inside her for so long.

Poor Chakotay, what a dilemma. If he didn't married Rakel he would draw shame over his family and if he married Rakel it would be at the loss of his heart. He didn't love Rakel, even a dog could see that.

"Dear god, why must our paths be so hard to follow?"

Kathryn's stomach started churning her dinner, making her dash for the bathroom.

When she came back out she looked pail and was trembling from the force and speed she had lost her dinner in the toilet. She laid down on her bed, her stomach still fighting against her, but slowing when she took some deep breaths and closed her eyes.

'Will I ever tell him?' This question had been haunting her ever since she realized what was going on. Why she had questioned Chakotay earlier. Why she felt like life was just one big cosmic joke now. 'Yes,' she answered herself, 'I will tell him.'

Darkness invaded her mind and on the edge of sleep she thought, 'He deserves so much more then I can give him.'

Chakotay entered the room where Kathryn slept. A stab of pain rolled over his heart when he saw the remains of her tears. He could kill himself for causing them. Just before his father found him and Kathryn, he had made sure she never doubted how much he loved her and would never leave her but now... Now he had to break that promise.

It would kill her, and then it would kill him. At least he could make sure she well off, working and living under his father when he was married.

What a hard blow that would be for him. He hated Rakel and to marry her… The thought made him sick to his stomach.

Chakotay had known in the beginning that something would come between him and Kathryn. There had been in a no winning position. But a man could dream and live in a dream until he woke up.

He loved Kathryn more than anything and he had secretly hoped he would have a future with her. He should have known there would be no happy endings, not in this world. Once more Rakel was destroying his life. Rakel's father's demands still echoed in his ears. Demanding that Chakotay take his place and make right by himself. He had a creeping sensation that he was set up for this.

He was standing at a crossroads.

Down one road was Rakel and all his family obligations demanding the he came and obey.

Down the other road was Kathryn. She made no demands, she was just standing there, in all her beauty, smiling, and looking at him with love, devotion, and understanding.

How do you choose? Do you leave your heart behind and do the right thing, or do you follow your heart and take the consequences for it?

One answer leads to another question, and another, until your head is spinning and you're no better off now than when you first started this introspection.

How do you reject what you want to do to do what you must? How much do you put up with before you lose your heart and die?

In this moment, his answer was simple, and he had to tell Kathryn.

He couldn't betray his father, not when there was a baby involved. Even Kolopak had a more dislike toward Rakel then he had let on.

But that fact meant nothing. Rakel was still pregnant and Chakotay had a duty to her. To ignore that duty could bring about a fate that could destroy what was left of his family.

He stroked Kathryn's face, rousing her from her sleep.

"Chakotay." she whispered.

"I'm here Kathryn." he sat down on her bed.

"I dreamt you were gone, Chakotay." she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her. "That you left me."

'Maybe I will, my sweet Kathryn,' he thought as he fought to hold back the sob.

They were both so caught up with each other and the tenderness of that moment that they didn't noticed the door open slightly to let a pair of green eyes watch them.

"Kathryn there is something I have to tell you."

She leaned back so she could see his face.

"You used to be lovers, you and Rakel?"

How could she have realized it so soon? "Yes. Once... it was... before I found out what kind of person she was." He had to tell her now or he would lose his nerves.

"Kathryn, I have to marry Rakel." he began.

"I see." Not trusting herself to say more.

"I can't let down my fathers honor. I never knew there would be a risk like this with her. It had been over when I found you. My heart was bleeding and would constantly remind me of what she did to me. It didn't matter what I did, there was always this terrible hurt. But then I found you. You showed me how life was meant to be lived, even in a world like this. You helped my heart heal and not hurt anymore.

"She broke my heart when I caught her with... and ever since then I..." He couldn't go on, the memories that he thought were gone came back. Not as painful as before, but they still hurt. He looked away.

"It's ok, you don't have to say it," she said, putting a hand gently on his cheek. "I will be leaving soon."

Chakotay's eyes shot up to fix on Kathryn's face. "Kathryn, what are you talking about? I've asked my father to let you stay. You will be safe here and I will come to visit."

Kathryn gave a small laughter, sure he would come in a few months. In a few months she could be dead.

"Chakotay, I can't stay." Looking into his eyes made her feel tear-eyed again. Damn it, could she ever stop crying? She evaded his eyes and looked at every thing else in his face.

"Why?" The one question that would lead to the truth. Kathryn looked into his eyes, pain and fear written in them. She had no idea how he would react to this, especially with everything that had happened.

His eyes were begging her to say something.

"Because in a few months people will know what kind of relationship we had."

"How. I don't see how they would..." He went silence when Kathryn took one of his hands and placed the palm on her belly.

"I'm pregnant."

Chakotay was unable to do anything but stare where his hand rested.

"You had right to know, Chakotay." she said it quietly. "I didn't want to tell you under these circumstances but..." Kathryn chocked back on a sob.

Chakotay raised his other hand to her cheek, caressing her. His body started shaking when he tilted his head forward so his forehead rested against Kathryn's.

"A child, a baby, our baby," he whispered. "How long... how long..."

"How long have I known? Maybe a week. How far along am I? I don't know but I would guess when we started being intimate, about 5-6 weeks. My booster went out when we were recovering."

Kathryn suddenly felt dizzy and moved from Chakotay and reposition herself facing the opposite wall, her back facing Chakotay. There was no way she could look into her eyes and continue.

"I thought you should know why I leave." Her was voice unsteady. "I will cherish everything we had together, but we both knew it couldn't last forever."

She crossed her arms around her and shivered when Chakotay's weight made the bed dip. Moments later a hand came to rest around her and on her belly.

Kathryn was pregnant, with his child. Their baby.

Reality hit home once again. If Kathryn had the baby when he married Rakel, she and their baby that would pay for it. People would call her whore or worse. Some even trying to see who she would take to her bed next time.

In the worst case scenario, if he didn't marry Kathryn, their baby may not hold a future in this world. There were groups out there who would, in an effort to control the population, inject her with drugs so she miscarried. This prospect made his heart stop beating for a minute.

"Oh, God, what will we do?" Chakotay whispered.

"There are nothing you can do, love. I will leave and never return to this land or you again, so nothing will come out. I can say my man died protecting me, that way I don't have to tell them the truth."

Chakotay's hand caressed her stomach. Sitting up a little more on his butt he ran his other hand through his raven hair. "Have you seen a doctor?"

Looking down, she found the sheets very interesting. "No."

"Kathryn." Chakotay almost said it louder then he meant to do. "If you haven't seen a doctor how do you know you are pregnant..."

"Chakotay, I haven't had my period for almost 4 weeks. I've always been regular since I was 18. I've been waking up to what I think is morning sickness.

"You have always slept to deep to hear me leave or you was back in your own room. If I went to a doctor the baby's father would soon be found. You know as well as I do how fast news like that spreads. I wasn't ready for something like that yet."

Tears once again found their way to Kathryn's eyes. When he saw them he immediately softened. This must be just as big shock to Kathryn of not greater. Their child growing inside of her, nursing and so innocent. The baby may never know how, at this moment, his existence made his parents happy and at the same time making a hard situation even more difficult.

If he married Rakel he would lose Kathryn and their baby forever. He wouldn't be able to live after that. If he married Kathryn, he had no idea what life would bring to them.

All he knew was at that moment was the woman he loved in his arms, in the room where they had spent so many beautiful nights loving each other, and now the child underneath his hand was the result of those nights.

He turned her so he could embrace her and hold her tight to him, trying to chase away the dark reality now closing in on him. His head resting on her shoulder while one arm was around her waist.

"I don't know what to do, Kathryn," he choked on the words. "I am so confused at the moment I don't know what to do... But I know I don't want you to leave."

Kathryn shifted in his arms so she could stroke his head and back, trying to give some comfort to the distressed man in her arms.

"Hush, it's all right. You will come up with something."

"No I won't. I'm so lost," he whispered when her touch calmed him. "Will you let me stay, Kathryn? Just to let me hold you in my arms when I sleep as if nothing today happened." When he saw her mouth open and close without something coming out he begged, "Please, my love." He was not aware of what he said or Kathryn's reaction to them.

"You can stay as long as you want, Chakotay," she whispered. "What you ever decide remember: I will always love you, no matter what."

Holding onto each other and laying down again neither saw the person watching them.

'Bastard,' she thought. 'Your whore will pay for stealing you from me, so will your baby.'

And then Rakel left, a plan already forming in her head on how sweet the revenge would be.

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The two aliens walked down a street in the main city. Nobody really noticed them because they looked like average humans in their clothes. They were here to observe people, to try and find the one. They would watch and judge people from their conduct. When they thought they had found the one they were searching for, they looked telepathically in their mind. But they were always meeting with disappointment.

Time was running out. They only had two months. In three there wouldn't be any planet to live on.

They were back in their room in this 'hotel', or whatever humans called these things.

"We have to hurry," he told his partner. "At this rate it will take more time than this planet has left to find the one we are looking for."

The female looked at the horizon though a window. "Something is happening; they will be here in time."

"You always speak of him as them," he replied exasperated. "Is it your foresight that tells you we will find them soon or do we have to move again."

"I don't know."

"You don't know or you won't tell me?"

"They will be here, I know it. When the time is right, they will. I don't know when that will be due to this atmosphere. But they will come here and we will wait for them, they will need us to save them. That I know."

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The next morning Chakotay woke to the feeling of someone shaking him. When he opened his eyes he saw Kathryn's sleeping face resting next to his on his arm. Memories from the previous night came back to him and he smiled a little when he noticed his other hand on her belly.

Then another shake made him look around and came to stop at his father.

Chakotay saw no way out of this. First he was caught kissing Kathryn, now he was in her bed. Their clothes were on, but they were still very intimate.

Kolopak turned, indicating for him to follow.

Chakotay let go of Kathryn's sleeping form. Once he was up, Kathryn snuggled to where he had lain, finding comfort in the smell and remaining heat from him in the bed.

When he looked down he hoped if only for a second that the baby would be a girl and looked just like Kathryn.

Chakotay sighed then left to follow his father.

Kolopak looked out the window in his office when Chakotay walked in. "Funny as it sounds, I almost have forgotten how this world used to be when I looked out. So dead and lifeless. And this color… This color has no place in they sky. For the last few weeks, though, I saw beauty in this place, not death."

Chakotay had no idea where this would lead but when he thought about his fathers words, he realized he felt that way too.

"Strange, how that can happen," Chakotay said as he moved next to his father looking out at the morning sky.

"I have thought long of it since yesterday. Chakotay, it was you who changed how I see the world. You got me to see it through your eyes. It was your happiness that did that. This can be a beautiful place, if we just concentrate on it."

"If I can be honest it was Kathryn who got me to see like that."

Kolopak nodded his head in understanding. "You really love Kathryn, don't you Chakotay?"

Sighing he nodded his head. "With all of my heart. When did you find out?"

"Yesterday but I had my suspicions a few days before that."

Turning back to the room, Chakotay sat down in a chair. Kolopak just turned so he could look at his son.

"What are bothering you? I can see that something is on your mind, and it's just not Rakel."

Closing his eyes Chakotay leaned back in the chair. "Kathryn is also pregnant."

Kolopak's eyes widened, and he slowly nodded his head.

'This is just getting better and better,' he thought ruefully.

"I don't need to ask if it's your?"

Looking up. "Of course it's mine. She's not a..."

"No, no I never implied anything like that." Sitting down in a chair opposite Chakotay he asked, "How far along is she?"

"5, maybe 6 weeks."

He opened a desk drawer and took out a photo. "I should had shown this to you a few years ago, but the opportunity never came up."

He handed it to Chakotay. On it was a younger version of his father with another woman then his mother. They both looked very happy.

"Her name was Sophia. Beautiful as the night, clever as a queen. She had everything, compassion, passion, brain and a damn temper, much like Kathryn, if I got it right."

"Who was she?"

"The only woman I ever loved."

"But what about mother?"

"Much like you I got into a position where I had to choose between love and honor. I loved Sophia with all of my heart. I met her during a visit into the main city and it was love at first sight. But there was your mother. I was attracted to her and in the end I was found in a compromised position. I broke Sophia's heart and I never saw her again. Then your mother found out she was pregnant, much like Rakel. I learned to love her, and we began a life together after we destroyed one."

Chakotay sat there, totally stunned. He didn't mean to, but he couldn't help but stare at his father. He couldn't believe his father could have been in the same trap as he was in now.

"Did you ever found out what happen to Sophia?"

"No, I never did." Kolopak looked deep in thought. Then he locked eyes with Chakotay. "I have always regretted what I did to her. I don't want you to do the same. If you really love Kathryn then DON'T give her up. You will never be able to forgive yourself. Not now, when you know you are going to be a father. I never trusted Rakel or her family. They have a neck for trying to get in the higher system in a rotten way. It wouldn't surprise me if you really aren't the father to Rakel's baby."

Chakotay put his head in his hands. He couldn't believe what he heard.

Where Rakel was concerned, that probably true, but his father… Was he actually saying that he should choose Kathryn before Rakel? He would choose Kathryn in a heartbeat, both for love and trust and the hope she felt the same for him.

Suddenly Chakotay found a new respect for his father. How hard it was to leave the person he loved. Now making sure his son didn't commit the same mistake he himself did. Kolopak actually wanted Kathryn to stay if she made Chakotay happy.

Chakotay and Kolopak stood up when they heard a loud noise that started from the floor above and ended with a loud crash close to the room they were in. Chakotay rushed out and toward to the stairs where he stopped in horror.

Kathryn lay on the lower part on the stairs, not moving, only whimpering in pain. Chakotay hurried to her and pulled her into his arms. Then he saw the note beside her. He took it without looking at it, his eyes only for Kathryn at the moment.

Chakotay heard his father order someone to get help. Chakotay lifted Kathryn up and walked her up to her room, but as soon as he looked in he had second thoughts. He placed her in his room instead, and then returned to Kathryn's room. Someone had trashed her room. The sheets were all pulled off the bed and ripped, the dresser had been knocked over and its contents spilled all over the floor, objects were broken… It looked like a war zone. After he told one of the maids to start cleaning up the mess he left to go to Kathryn.

Chakotay didn't leave her side until a doctor came and Kolopak told him to leave the room. It wasn't an accident, the room was clearly meant as some sort of warning. Someone pushed her out over the stairs, but why?. Then he remembered the note. His world seemed to stop as he read it.

YOU WERE LUCKY THIS TIME, BUT NEXT TIME WON'T BE CAUSE I'LL KILL YOUR LITTLE BITCH AND YOUR PRECIOUS BABY. COUNT ON IT...

End Part 3


	4. Consequences

Part 4

The days that followed all seemed to be blurred together. Chakotay didn't know what day it was his father literally dragged him out of Kathryn's room and took him into his office so they could speak privately. Kolopak had hoped to avoid this, but now it was impossible. He had to ask his son to leave.

"What?" Chakotay couldn't believe what his father had just said.

"You heard me!" Kolopak stood with his back to Chakotay. "If you love Kathryn as much as you say then you must leave this house."

Chakotay stood like he was frozen. Was his own father sending him away? Why? Why now?

Chakotay tried to form the words, but nothing would come out. Finally, after he got over the initial shock, he asked, "Why?"

But it came more like a whisper then his normal tone.

"Chakotay, you know that the doctor that took care of Kathryn three day's ago will report it to the Hidayuu clan. It's what he gets so god damn well paid for. He also no doubt found out that she's pregnant and it won't take much time for him to make a connection once he hears what Rakel has to say." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Once the Hidayuu finds out you know what consequences are. Death, possibly torture, just so they can hear you beg. Who knows what all they will do. You know it's against the rules to disgrace the blood in families with others. The Hidayuu will waste no time in getting here." Kolopak turned around to make eye contact with his last living son. "I've found out that he just left Rakel's about an hour ago, so you have until dusk to get out of this house with Kathryn."

Chakotay's eyes were glazed over like he couldn't believe what was happening. "What about you, father. They can kill you for this too... I don't think I could live with knowing..."

"Chakotay, I'm to old to run away and hide. I've lived my life. Now I want you to live your life with as much happiness as possible. I've packed for you so you can make it to one of the bigger cities and find a small room for a little while. Please, make this my last wish and leave." Kolopak reached out to grasp Chakotay's shoulder. Before he knew it he was in a big bear hug.

"I don't think I can leave you here alone," his voice was on the verge of breaking.

"Do it for Kathryn and for your unborn child. They deserve to live, both of them, and they are going to need you."

Chakotay closed his eyes and sighed. Fate, it seemed, was going out of its way just to make his life hell. He knew his father was right about the Hidayuu. They would kill him and his family without the slightest bit of remorse.

He looked into his father's eyes and sighed. If he could get Kathryn out of here safely with him, well, that was all he needed to make his father's last wish worth leaving him behind. As hard as he tried, that logic did not make the prospect of leaving his father to an execution any easier.

"Beside who said I would die," Kolopak said in one last effort to comfort his son. It was the least he could do. "I could just say you left without me knowing it."

Chakotay let out a strangled chuckle when he pulled away. Holding him by his arms, he sighed "I hope this isn't farewell."

"Me too, my son. Me too." Kolopak released his son completely.

"We will leave right away. I will just get something warmer for Kathryn so she doesn't get sick on the way."

Nodding his head Kolopak could feel tear's coming just in the corner of his eyes as he watched Chakotay leave. To leave the house, to leave his old life and began a new one. Hopefully a good one.

After 20 minutes Kolopak once more stood in his office and watched as a figure carrying something move away from his house.

Chakotay turned around when he reached the top of the hill and looked back down where he had lived his whole life. He held Kathryn secure in his arms and her head rested against his chest. Eye's closed and breathing evenly.

"Goodbye father, I love you." It hurt he hadn't said those words directly to him but just saying them and admitting them was enough at the moment. Then he turned and began to walk again. Their few possessions on his back and the woman he loved in his arms.

Kolopak watched the shape of his son disappear down the hill and he just stood there waiting and waiting, knowing they would come soon.

The sun came and gone. And as the day's light was about to leave the sky he saw torches coming closer. The next thing he heard was the front door breaking down and people storming in. Angry people. He could hear them trashing his home, capture the house hold servants and gather them in the main room. Asking them one by one where the two people missing were. He just stood in his office, waiting for them to come for him.

When they couldn't answer they were slaughtered in front of the eyes of the others. Unfortunately, no one knew where Kathryn and Chakotay were, so they just stood there, waiting to die. The leader soon grew sick of it. He dragged Kolopak in front of everyone and hit him with his knee in the helpless man's stomach. "Now will you tell us where those two traitors are?"

Kolopak looked up gasping for breath. The scared face of the leader greeted him. "There is no crime in loving each other."

Those were Kolopak's last words as the patience of the leader snapped.

He reached with his hand to his side then the next moment everyone saw a sword swing through the air and slice the other man's throat.

Kolopak held his neck while he slipped into a darkness he would never wake up from again.

The leader lowered his sword and looked with hatred at the dying man and the blood that colored the floor a deep red.

A few minutes after the last breath was taken and released from Kolopak the leader started giving orders again.

"Kill the rest. Burn this fucking house until there is nothing left but ashes. Send men out to search the area, but FIND THEM! If you don't then send our spies to the other cities and search for them. I WANT THEM ALIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE! UNNESSICARILY KILL THIM AND I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS!"

He walked out and looked deep into the night and the fire his men started.

"Soon my dear Kathryn you will pay for hurting me in front of every one. And I will do more then just grab you on your butt," he promised in the glow of the flames.

And so in the darkness of the night in a world that had learned nothing but evil and hatred two figures made their way through the gates of a city that could hopefully give them temporary sanctuary. One man with dark complex carrying the sleeping form of the woman he loves and knows nothing of the world outside her own body at the moment. Both where unaware that one of the shadows dancing on the wall would soon give a child to the dark lord he served and hopefully get his rightful place there again.

From another window a pair of purple/blue eyes watched the new couple coming in. Her hair tied back and revealing her red spots. A strange feeling rose in her as she watched them enter a hotel down the street. Her partner checked on some instrument and sighed at the readings.

He walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"How bad," she asked.

"It has accelerated, again. This planet and everyone on it has only 2 weeks left before earthquakes, thunder/ion storms, and all other forms of natural disasters begin to destroy this planet."

"I feel so guilty, just because of our stupidity and experimenting with Rafritzia. What could we had been thinking. We may have created them, but it was this planet and her people that paid the price..."

"I know, but none of our ancestors could have known that Rafritzia would regain a will of it's own," he lightly whispered.

"I know," she said with a deep sigh, "but that doesn't make the past any better to deal with."

"Seen anyone yet," he asked, trying to take her mind off of their people's greatest mistake.

She thought about it for a moment before for the first time turning around and smiled at him. "I… I think they just arrived."

End Part 4


	5. The Rescue

Here is the first chapter done by me. I hope you all like it. Please Review and tell me what you think.

"How much for a room," Chakotay asked the man behind the counter. He was big, burly, bald, and gave Chakotay a hard look over.

"How much you got?"

"Not much," Chakotay admitted.

"Then get out of my hotel," the man said crossly.

"Please, wait," Chakotay begged, "we really need a room."

"Yeah, you and half the city."

"My woman, she's pregnant," Chakotay said desperately. "I don't have anything I can trade for a room, but I can work, all night if I have to. Just, please, give me a bed where she can sleep safely."

The man took a look at Kathryn, who was still asleep in Chakotay's arms. His face seemed soften slightly.

"Alright," he said after a minute, "I'll get you a room for her. But you're going to work from midnight until dawn."

"Thank you," Chakotay said as the man grabbed the key off the wall and handed it to him.

"I'm not doing this for you. If it wasn't for her, you'd be on the street right now."

"I know," Chakotay said as he took the key and looked down at Kathryn.

"You got two hours until you start working. I suggest you use that time to get some sleep. I don't need you napping on the job."

Chakotay nodded as he walked away, following the signs to his room. He didn't notice the shadow following him.

He walked inside the room and locked the door behind him. As he gently placed Kathryn on the bed in the center of the room he took a look around. Besides the bed there was only a tiny closet. The wallpaper was ripped, the only window was boarded up, and occasionally he would hear the squeak of rats. They were also safe, warm, and dry, which made everything else ok, he decided as he lowered himself next to Kathryn.

"Chakotay," Kathryn whispered dreamily. Something had woken her up, and she instinctively reached for him.

"Hey," he said as he settled next to Kathryn. She had turned towards him and started burying her body into his.

"Where are we," she asked, partially awake.

"We're at a hotel in the middle of town. I was able to get us this room for at least tonight."

"How'd you pay for it?"

"I'm working it off. My shift starts in two hours. Go back to sleep."

"Ok," Kathryn said, fading quickly. "Love you."

"I love you too," he whispered, falling asleep with her in his arms. Two hours later Chakotay reported in to Vic, the hotel owner, to start working off the room.

"You're gonna help my cousin Jimmy to patrol the grounds and watch for animals and gangs. You probably don't have to worry too much about wild animals, although sometimes a morent does appear. Nasty fuckers. You've run into one of them before?"

"The day I met Kathryn I saved her from one, almost losing my leg in the process."

"So you know how to use a knife," Vic said. "Good. That will save your life in this neighborhood. While I doubt you'll run into a morent, I can promise you'll run into at least one gang member. Most of them can't wield a blade to save their life, but they like to attack in groups. The two biggest gangs in the city have just declared war, and they keep fighting over territory. Some of the fighting might spill over this way, or at the very least you'll find a couple body dumps."

Chakotay shook his head and said, "Kathryn and I were trying to escape a clan war. Seems like no matter where we go, we can't escape the bloodshed."

"Like that everywhere, kid," Vic said. "I hate raising my kids in this world, but there's nothing any of us can do to change it. All we can do is survive."

"I guess you're right," Chakotay said, "I just wish you weren't."

"So do I," he said with a sigh. "Now enough of this whiney little girl bull shit. Let me introduce you to Jimmy and Kyle," he said, turning to head to the room next to the check in window. "Like I told you earlier, you'll be working with Jimmy patrolling the grounds. Kyle, that is if numb nuts ever decides to show up, will be guarding the food stuffs and other supplies…"

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"They're here," he asked his partner excitedly. "They're finally here?"

"Yes," his partner replied, "but it is not yet time to approach them. Certain events must happen before we can interfere."

"But we don't have time for that! In less than two weeks there won't even be a planet left."

"Patience," she soothed. "The events have been set in motion. We must wait for them to play out."

"How much longer must we wait?"

"Before the sun rises," she said looking out into the distance, a sad look on her face.

"What must happen?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she replied, "all I know is it will cause them great pain and sorrow, and we will blame ourselves for allowing it to happen."

"Then maybe we should go before…"

"No," she interrupted. "We must not interfere. I only hope that the life we will provide them will help absolve some of the pain we will allow to happen to them.

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"Well," hissed the black hooded shadow.

"Everything is in place, My Lord."

"Good," she said, an evil grin invading her face. "There will be no mistakes."

"None at all, My Lord, everything will be done as you instructed," he said bowing. "I have followed the man and the woman since they entered the city. I know the hotel room and how to sneak past the guards. Before sunrise, I will be done."

"Excellent. If you can do this, then you will be second only to me."

"Yes, My Lord, it will be done," he said bowing again and walking away. He didn't know what his Lord's obsession with this one woman was, but he knew enough not to question her or her family. Rakel was not one to be crossed.

'I warned you Chakotay,' Rakel thought as she watched her minion slink off into the night, 'but you didn't listen. Now I will take everything you treasure.'

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"Alright, I'll walk 'round this way," Jimmy said, pointing to the left, "and you walk 'round the opposite way. That way we'll cross half way through. If one of us doesn't meet up the other will know somethin's up."

"Ok," Chakotay said as he started walking the opposite way of Jimmy. The first five laps he was watching every shadow, but soon boredom overtook him and his mind started to wander. This was the moment he chose to strike.

He came up behind Chakotay and wrapped one arm behind his neck. As he brought up a hypospray filled with a tranquilizer he whispered in Chakotay's ears, "Rakel sends her regards and wants me to pass them onto Kathryn."

After taking care of Chakotay he quickly made his way into the hotel. In his rush he missed the one of the aliens take Chakotay's body while the other one quietly followed him.

He quickly found the room and silently opened the door with the key he'd picked up from Chakotay's body. He walked in the room and saw her sleeping on the bed. Pretty little thing. He stood above her, staring, thinking about how long it had been since he'd last slept with a woman. 'Ah I'll wait until after I kill her,' he thought to himself. 'That way she won't put up a fight.'

He brushed aside the excitement that filled him and went to work. He gave her a light sedative to her to ensure she wouldn't wake up while he tied her arms and legs to the bed. That task done, he pressed a hypospray to her neck that would numb her stomach and vocal chords. He wasn't planning on numbing her stomach, but considering what he was going to do to her… well it was the least he could do. He picked up his knife, cut open her stomach, picked up his tricorder, and started scanning. 'There's the little half breed.'

He was just about to fish out the fetus when Kathryn woke up. When her eyes settled on him, he just looked up, smiled, and went right back to work. He saw the confusion in her eyes, watched her internal debate play across her eyes.

"Yes this is real, Kathryn," he said while he worked. "Rakel told me to say hi, by the way."

At the mention of Rakel, Kathryn started the thrash across the bed in an attempt to escape.

"As you can see," he said, annoyance seeping into his voice, "you are securely tied down. Now, the more you move, the more likely my instrument will miss its mark, cut you, and cause some internal bleeding. Now I don't know how much medical knowledge you have, but that's bad."

When Kathryn tried to speak, and failed, he said, "Yes, sorry about that, but I really do hate screaming, which you would undoubtedly be doing right now. If you are wondering what I am doing, Rakel has asked me to kill your baby." When he saw her face he said, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna. That's low, even for me. No, what I'm going to do is remove the fetus from your body, put it in an artificial womb, and then raise it as my own. Always wanted a kid."

After hearing his plans, Kathryn started thrashing more, and he angrily said, "Look, the longer this takes, the more likely it is Chakotay will die." When she stilled, he said, "Good. Now, I gave him a strong sedative, very strong. In fact, if I don't wake him up within the next half hour, it will shut down his body systems, one by one. There! All done," he said, pulling a tube out of her stomach. Holding it closer to her face, he said, "Take a close look at this, Kathryn. It's the only time you'll get to see your child. Now I have orders to kill both you and Chakotay. He should be dead already. Don't worry," he said when he saw her angry expression, "it was a very peaceful way to go."

He put away all his equipment, including the tube. He then took out a hypospray and huge saw-like object. "I've really enjoyed our time together Kathryn, but my orders are to kill you as well and to make it as messy as possible. But don't worry, I plan on sedating you first, you won't feel a thing." She tried to back away from him, but her restrained arms didn't allow her to go far. He easily applied the same tranquillizer to her as he had Chakotay.

He raised his weapon, ready to use it on Kathryn, when he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down when he saw that he had a gaping hole where his heart was supposed to be. "Damn," he said as he fell down. He was dead before he hit the floor. The alien who had followed him in took out a tool and quickly stitched Kathryn's abdomen back together, removed the restraints picked her up, and carried her out.

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"This one's life signs are getting stronger," Chakotay heard a female voice say. His head felt like something had beaten it in, and it was hard for him to think. As hard as it was to think, there was one thought that permeated his brain.

"Kathryn," he mumbled.

"Lenear," the voice said, "he's speaking. I don't know if he's fully conscious, but he's almost there."

"Good," a male voice said. "The woman you rescued is in pretty bad shape, but she should pull through."

"Kathryn," Chakotay said again, this time stronger.

"Hold on," the female voice said and it felt like she patted his shoulder, "everything's going to be fine."

"Kathryn," Chakotay said, this time opening his eyes. He looked up to see a female alien, he couldn't even begin to guess the race, scanning him with a hand held device while a man, who he guessed was Lenear, scanned Kathryn.

"Lenear," the woman said, "he's awake."

He quickly looked over from his scanner. "Good," he repeated, and then went on to work on a panel of instruments next to Kathryn.

"How is she," Chakotay asked sitting up.

"She sustained severe wounds in her uterus and was given a drug that slowly shut down her body functions, starting with brain activity. You were also given a dose of the drug. Caught in time, it's easy to treat, but it's fast acting, so the window of opportunity is small."

"What happened to her," Chakotay managed to barely get out.

"The man who knocked you out broke into your room, restrained her, and cut her stomach open. By the time I got there, she was knocked out and he was about to take a huge, moving, serrated blade to her," the woman said.

"The baby," he gulped out. He had to breath deeply just to keep from passing out. He felt his throat tighten and his stomach lurch.

Lenear started scanning her abdomen and said, "I'm not detecting any evidence of a child. Her uterus was cut open we she was found. We can assume whoever did this to her took the fetus as well."

At these words, Chakotay lost it. He couldn't hold back his sobs any longer, and the woman who was sitting on the bed next to him put his head on her shoulder.

When Chakotay had calmed slightly, the woman said, "I know this is hard for you to believe now, but some good will come from all this."

"How," Chakotay choked out, "how can any good come from all this?"

"My name is Telsa, and this is Lenear. We have come to your planet searching for the ones who will save it. We believe you and this woman are the ones."

Chakotay pulled away from her and backed up until he hit the bed's headboard. "What do you want from us?"

"We want you to help us save your planet."

"Save it? From what?"

"An experiment that our people will perform on your people at the end of the 24th century."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"Although more will be revealed later," Telsa explained, "what we are asking you and Kathryn to do is make sure the planet is prepared to defend itself incase Lenear and I are unsuccessful in our mission."

"And what's your mission?"

"That's enough questions for now," Lenear said. "Right now, you need to rest."

"How do I know I can trust you," Chakotay asked.

"Right now," Lenear answered, "you don't have much of a choice."

"Way to be comforting," Chakotay muttered.

"There's comfort in honesty," Telsa said as Chakotay drifted into sleep.


	6. New Faces

A/N: I know this is kind of short, but I really wanted to get this chapter up while things were still going well for me: I just got my car back (after being in a major accident), I don't have to work OR go to school tomorrow, and they didn't kill off Sara Sidle on CSI. Today has been a great day for me. I realize this is kind of random and has nothing to do with my story, but oh well.

I took (with permission) a line from tayababy's "100 Things" (#56). If you're big into Voyager, you should definately read this. If I use anyother lines from it in the future, I'll list the numbers at the top of the story.

Some people added this story to their alert list, and I'll admit, it reallyed encouraged me to write more. Just imagine how much more a review would encourage me. HINT HINT. Please, at least somebody put one up there...

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"She's awake," they heard Chakotay yell throughout the ship.

It had been a week since Telsa and Lenear had rescued Chakotay and Kathryn. During that time they had told Chakotay what their people had done to earth, what they needed Kathryn and him for. He was skeptical at first, and was even more shocked to learn that he had woken up on their space ship; however he soon adapted and, slowly, began to trust them.

They had not told him everything, just what he needed to know. Telsa had doubts at first, but Lenear thought at it would be too much for him to handle at the moment. They came to a compromise and told him that they were only giving him part of the story.

"Wait a minute," Chakotay said, looking skeptically at Telsa and Lenear, "you're admitting to me that you're only giving me half the story? Why?"

"Because I hate repeating myself," Lenear mumbled. Telsa hit him in the side with her elbow and shot him a dirty look.

"What Lenear means to say is," Telsa said looking from Lenear to Chakotay, "that we are meeting up with someone to move along part of our plan, and you and Kathryn both will hear the whole story then."

That was two days ago. Now Chakotay was shouting from the medical bay and Telsa and Lenear both quickly made their way there. When they entered, they saw Chakotay standing above Kathryn holding one of her hands in both of his. Her eyes were open and looking into his while she raised a hand to touch his face.

Chakotay looked up long enough to see Telsa and Lenear standing there. "She's awake," he repeated. Lenear walked over to where Kathryn was laying and started scanning her.

When Kathryn saw him, and sent a scared look to Chakotay, he said, "Don't worry. They saved our lives."

As soon as Lenear finished scanning her, he announced, "Everything seems to be doing great: You vitals are strong, your brain activity is where it should be, and your uterus and abdomen are healing perfectly. Besides a few scars, it'll be as if it never happened."

"Chakotay," Kathryn whispered, "the baby?"

Tears welled up in his eyes as Telsa told Kathryn what had happened.

"Rakel was behind the attack," Chakotay said when Telsa had finished.

"I know," Kathryn whispered, a tear falling down the side of her face. "I remember now what happened. He said Rakel wanted the baby dead, but he was going to raise it. He put it in a tube in his bag, and then he knocked me out."

"He had turned the blade on when I shot him," Telsa said. "The moving blade fell and shredded his bag, and everything in it, before I had even left the room with you."

"We'll never escape her," Kathryn whispered as another tear ran down her cheek, her voice full of despair.

"We have," Chakotay said. "We're in space right now, away from everything. Not even Rakel can find us here."

"We'll have to go back eventually, Chakotay," Kathryn said.

"There's nothing to go back to," Lenear said.

"What are you talking about," Chakotay asked.

"Remember the experiment we mentioned earlier? One of the side effects was an increase tectonic movement."

"In what?"

"Tectonic plates? You know, the plates beneath your planets crust," Lenear asked. At their blank looks, he said, "Never mind. That's not important. What's important is that your planet was overrun with earthquakes and volcanoes. This destroyed all life on your planet. In a few short hours, all the stress will cause the planet to implode on itself."

"Earth will be destroyed," Chakotay asked, almost too shocked to speak.

"That is why we need your help," Telsa said. "If you two help us, then we can prevent this from ever happening. And I'm not just talking about Earth's destruction. Earth wasn't always thrown into a constant warlike state. There was a time in your history when logic and peace were a way of life and people helped each other."

"Now you sound like all the elders who used to go on and on about Earth's glory days," Kathryn said, sitting up.

"They were telling you the truth."

"I didn't believe them then, and I don't believe you now."

"You have every right to doubt us," Telsa said, "but will you at least hear what we have to say?"

Kathryn looked uncertainly at Chakotay before looking back at Telsa and said, "Ok, I'll listen."

"Good," Lenear said. "We meet Braxton in two days."

"Who," Kathryn asked.

"Captain Braxton," Telsa explained, "is the one who's going to help us save your planet."

"I thought that's what we were for," Chakotay asked.

"You are. He's just the one who's going to make it possible."

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Lieutenant Commander Jenna Garcia sat at her desk holding a cup of coffee and sighed.

When she was approached at Starfleet Academy days before graduation by the Temporal Integrity Commission (TIC) to become a temporal agent, she immediately accepted. A week after graduation, she was back in school studying temporal theories, temporal phenomenon, and how to pilot the temporal ships. When she graduated 2 years later, a temporal war had broken out. She wasn't involved in the actual fighting, her job was to make sure the timeline didn't become contaminated.

The job kept her busy, but there were definite lulls between missions. To kill time, her and her teammates would go to the 20th and the 21st centuries, find an isolated farm, and start shooting off their phasers in the dead of night, making fun circle designs on the ground. They'd always get angry reports the next day from the agents on the ground about how their actions were being interpreted. 'Crop circles' the people called them. Creative bunch, weren't they? Ah well, it helped lighten the mood in an otherwise depressing environment. Although the Federation ended up winning the war, the price was high. Of the 75 people she had graduated with from the TIC's training school, only 23 of them were still alive or not severely wounded.

She had worked her way up the command chain and had gone on numerous missions. However, thanks to Captain Braxton, she found herself, in her opinion, on the wrong side of a desk, with little possibility of ever going on another major mission. The pendejo was facing a court martial after snapping on some assignment. She didn't know any of the details, unfortunately. The guy was an arrogant ass and she would have loved to know what he got busted for. Whatever he did had the command extremely paranoid. Lt. Cmdr. Garcia and four other officers were to go over all missions he'd been on his whole career. This included every piece of document the even mentions whatever mission he could have possibly been on. He served for over twenty years, was on 50 major missions, 20 covert operations, and sat on 15 separate committees. The amount of information that needed to be read was mind blowing, even after it had been divvied up. The stacks of data padds completely covered her desk and were a meter high.

"It's official," Jenna said while taking a sip of her coffee, "Captain Braxton is more trouble than he's worth."

"Talking to yourself again?"

"It's the only thing that keeps me sane around here." She had recognized the voice immediately, which was good considering there was no way she'd be able to see him without considerable effort over the stacks of padds. "What do you want Derrick," she asked taking another sip of coffee, still staring at the padds.

"Do the names Telsa or Lenear mean anything to you," he asked walking around the desk to face her. He was one of the 23 she had graduated with still on active duty and one of her closest friends.

"No."

"They were asking for Captain Braxton."

'Now what,' she thought. "Did they say what they wanted?"

"No, they just said that they wanted to talk to Braxton, that he was expecting them."

"And you're coming to me because…?"

"They wanted to speak to Captain Braxton."

"I caught that. What's you point?"

"Becky's covering his years as an ensign, Dan's got his lieutenant years, Alex has lieutenant commander, I have commander, and you've got captain."

"I know how it's divided up, Derrick."

"Well, anything he's done as a captain is your responsibility, including our new friends."

"You've got to be shitting me," Jenna said, one eyebrow raised.

"Nope," he said with a rueful smile. "They're waiting in conference room one."

"Payback's a bitch," Jenna said walking around him and heading for the door. "Just remember that _cabron_."

Laughing, he followed her out saying, "Yeah, I'll be sure to watch my back."

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Kathryn was sitting next to Chakotay and across from Telsa and Lenear. She was still recovering from the attack, and Chakotay tried to convince her to stay on the ship. He had almost persuaded her, not that she'd ever admit it, when Lenear insisted that she come. How could she ever hear the truth for herself unless she was there, he reasoned. She looked over at Chakotay and saw his nervous expression, how he tried to hide it behind his poker face. She reached below the table to grab on of his hands and squeeze it in support. His features relaxed considerably and he offered her a weak smile. Just then the door they had come in opened, and in walked a tall brunet in a blue uniform walk in.

"Who are you," Lenear demanded. "I told Lt. Cmdr. Severson we needed to talk to Capt. Braxton."

"I'm sorry," she replied, "but Capt. Braxton is unavailable. Perhaps I can help you instead?"

"Forgive my brother," Telsa said giving Lenear a dark look, "he gets over emotional sometimes. My name is Telsa. This is Lenear, Kathryn, and Chakotay," she said nodding towards each person as she spoke. "We wish to speak with Capt. Braxton because he already knows of our situation. Is there any way we can talk to him?"

"Unfortunately Capt. Braxton is in the middle of a court martial."

"That presents a problem," Lenear said.

"I'm Lt. Cmdr. Garcia, and I'm in charge of taking care of all responsibilities he might have had. Perhaps I can help you," she asked again.

"There is a lot at state here Commander, and it is a rather long story," Telsa said.

"I've got time," Jenna lied. She really should get working on those documents, but she'd take any excuse she could get putting them off.

"Very well," Telsa said. "We are not from the 29th century."

"We did pick up a temporal disturbance," Jenna said, confirming the time travel portion of the story. "A ship would have been sent out to investigate, but since you came to us, well, let's just say you have my full attention."

"We come from the 49th century."

"The 49th," Jenna repeated. She'd heard everything, or at least she thought she had, but this… well it caught her off guard to say the least.

"I know this is testing your history, but do you remember reading about how during the 24th how an alien ship came out of nowhere, scanned Earth, and than left as mysteriously as it came? This would have come just decades after the end of the Dominion War."

"I think so," Jenna said, trying to remember what she had heard. "It happened so fast that the only thing anyone was able to pick up was the frequency of the beam that scanned the planet's surface. Why?"

"That ship was sent by my people. Your planet will be destroyed as a direct result of our actions that day."


	7. Finding Loopholes

This chapter is mostly dialog, and there's a lot of it. In this chapter two temporal properties are mentioned. One of them I got from a TNG episode (the one where Worf keeps shifting through different timelines, I don't know the name of it) and the other one I made up for the story. It helps keep things going in upcoming chapters.

I really really really hate begging, but seriously, I could have just one review for this story so I know people are actually reading it, that'd be awesome.

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"What," Jenna asked after getting over the shock of Telsa's statement.

"You heard me, Commander. Because of that beam, Earth will implode on itself in the 49th century."

"How," Jenna questioned.

"That beam wasn't a scanner," Telsa explained. "It was a transporter."

"What was transported?"

"Rafritzia," Telsa said sadly. "No one will tell us why the rafritzia was officially created, just that we have to stop it. They were transported to the center of Earth."

"What is this 'rafritzia'?"

"Officially, that is not our concern," Lenear replied. "Unofficially it was designed with some military purpose. Our people didn't know what it could do, and your planet was chosen as the testing grounds."

"You still haven't answered my question," Jenna said.

"I'm getting to it," Lenear said impatiently. "When nothing happened within the first fifty years, it was deemed a failure and our people moved on to find other ways of killing each other."

"You see, what we didn't know is that the rafritzia were laying dormant waiting to become active," Telsa added.

"There have been no unusual scans from Earth's core recorded."

"They're lying dormant in this century. It's going to take time for them to become active."

"How long?"

"In 4666," Telsa explained, "there were experiments going on involving the Earth's core that somehow triggered the rafritzia to go from their dormant state to being active. This crippled the planet."

"What happened?"

"The change over from dormant to active caused a massive shockwave in the Earth's core that triggered a series of tectonic plate movement. All throughout the planet there were earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions," Telsa's voice trailed off. "It was horrible. The after effects of these events caused a massive climate change. There were such massive dust clouds covering the sky it blocked out the sun. Natural plant life morphed to survive this nightmarish environment. Even the animals changed to be more vicious.

"Earth fell into such disarray because of these events and the resulting changes. All the governments from other planets immediately recalled their ambassadors until the humans could find a way to handle this problem. By 4735, all the planets that now make up your Federation had cut off all contact and support to Earth."

"Some allies," Jenna murmured.

"Although not much is known about the rafritzia," Lenear continued, "we do know this: they prefer to make their home in molten rock, like what's found at the center of your planet."

"If I may quickly interject with a question," Jenna said, picking up her coffee, "what do these rafritzia look like? Are they tiny microbes? Are they bigger than the dinosaurs?"

"We weren't given those details," Lenear said. "Once in the center of your planet, they began to feed on the rock surrounding the magma."

"Uh-huh," Jenna said. "Just so I get your story straight, you're telling me that your people, knowing full well it would probably harm my planet, transported beings who like hanging out in Earth's core, just kind of chilling and eating the planet from the inside out, which will one day create such damage that the Earth will just kind of implode on itself centuries from now. Did I miss anything?"

"Bodily waste that comes from the rafritzia is a gas that has been slowly seeping out from the center of the planet into the planet's atmosphere. This gas can alter human physiology if there is enough exposure, making them more aggressive," Lenear explained. Indicating toward Kathryn and Chakotay, he continued saying, "Our scans of these two have shown they somehow remained unaffected by the gasses. We've yet to determine how, but at this point, I'm not sure it matters much."

Once he had finished speaking, he looked at Jenna, who just stared blankly at him before saying, "Ok, so not only are these beings causing the planet to implode, but are causing anyone who breathes in their excrement to become aggressive and paranoid." She sat and thought about this before saying, "I've heard stranger."

"You believe us," Lenear asked skeptically.

"Of course," Jenna said, "your story is far too extraordinary to be made up. People who make stuff up try to stay in the realm of reason. You have successfully left that realm far behind."

"This is wonderful," Telsa exclaimed. "It took us so much longer to convince Capt. Braxton."

While taking a sip of her coffee Jenna asked, "Now what do you want me to do about it?"

Everyone's eyes snapped to her while Lenear angrily asked, "What do you mean? We want you to help us prevent Earth's destruction!"

"I gathered that, but I'm not allowed to alter the timeline."

"Even if it means the destruction of your planet?"

"Nothing lasts forever."

"You can't be serious."

"You have to understand where I'm coming from," Jenna calmly explained. "I cannot for any reason, no matter how real or imminent the danger, alter the timeline. If temporal agents started doing that, the timeline would be a chaotic mess, constantly having to alter itself for all the changes. There are several theories out there that say if mess with the timeline too much, it could collapse altogether. Personally, I'm kind of curious at how that would turn out." At the confused looks she was receiving from everyone, she said, "But I digress, as I have clearly fallen off topic. Long story short, I can't step in unless certain criteria are met. Criteria that you clearly don't meet."

"What criteria needs to be met to make you step in."

"The ship in question must violate temporal laws." When she saw the looks on everyone's faces, she said, "You've got to believe me, I want to help, but if I do, it could mean death for me and my family. There are certain procedures I have to follow, and you have to give me a good reason to risk my life for you."

"The destruction of your planet isn't good enough?"

"No," Jenna said, "we get countless reports of Earth's destruction all the time."

"What," asked Telsa, confused.

"Alternate timelines," Jenna explained waving her hand, "obnoxious temporal property. You don't need to worry about that. What you need to worry about is convincing me life on Earth was horrible **as a direct result** of this incident. You convince me, and I'll stick my neck on the line for you."

"What about your laws," Lenear asked.

"Let me worry about those," Jenna said, "You wouldn't believe the loop holes you can find when you get creative."

"Kathryn, Chakotay," Telsa asked, "would you please tell the Commander your life stories?"

Kathryn went first. She described growing up in a world run by clans, how the fight for survival never seemed to end, how she found her family the day she met Chakotay. This is where she stopped and Chakotay told his story, and then they tag teamed their time together.

When they were done, Jenna asked a few questions that linked their life situation to the rafritzia. Once she was done with her questions, she just shook her head and said, "Sounds like you were living in a state of nature."

"A what," Chakotay asked.

"A state of nature," Jenna said. At the confused looks she explained, "It was a theory proposed by Tomas Hobbes in the 17th century. He wrote a book, _The Leviathan_, in which he makes an argument for the need for a government. If there was no government, he argued, than society would be reduced to a 'state of nature.' Life would consist of three things: finding food, finding shelter, and being safe. That's it. Eventually, to look out for everyone's mutual interest, clans will start forming. But even the clans offer no guarantee for safety from other clans, or your clan mates for that matter. You are always the slave of the strongest person or clan. It's a war of all against all."

"That is my world in a nutshell," Chakotay said.

Jenna sat there, running things through her mind for a couple minutes, before standing and saying, "Wait here."

She made a beeline for Derrick's office. When she found him he was buried under a stack of padds even bigger than what was on her desk.

"I've got a hypothetical question for you," Jenna said.

"Hypothetical as in 'I wanted discuss this theory with you' or hypothetical as in 'I'm actually in this situation and I'm not exactly sure what to do, but I don't want to admit I'm in it because it could get me into a lot of trouble,'" he asked without looking up from what he was reading.

"The second one," she answered.

This caused him to look up. "Go on."

"Our two friends came to warn us of Earth's destruction."

"Is it credible?"

"Yes, it's too weird to be made up, but…"

"But we can't step in and prevent it, no matter how real the warning is," Derrick finished.

"Exactly. What do you think I should do?"

"What was life like before Earth's destruction?"

"Remember when we had to read _The Leviathan_ back in American Philosophy at Starfleet Academy?"

"Wow, that bad?"

"Worse. Telsa and Lenear brought with them people who actually lived there. But that doesn't change the fact that we can't prevent that event from happening," Jenna said, frustrated.

"We can't," Derrick said, thinking out loud, "but they can."

"What are you talking about?"

"A substitution."

"A substitution," Jenna said, wide eyed. "Derrick, are you nuts? We can't do that! We don't have the clearance."

"Let me handle setting it up," Derrick said. "You just make sure the survivors are ready, willing, and able."

"Alright," Jenna said sighing, "but you better know what you're doing."

When she got back into the room, everyone was staring at her, listening attentively. Jenna took her spot at the table, not sure what to say.

"Well," Lenear demanded impatiently. "Will you help us?"

"About that," Jenna said, stalling to try and think of something. "You see, that's up for debate…" Just then the door opened behind her and Derrick walked in.

"We got the go ahead," Derrick said, handing her the authorization form.

"That was fast," Jenna said, "I thought it took months to get through everything."

"The 'powers that be' have been watching this case develop since Braxton took over this," Derrick explained. "He went too far in regards to this case, and now he's in the middle of a court martial. They wanted me to pass on to you their hope that you can properly handle this situation, since Braxton proved he was unable to."

Jenna looked at the form, then back and Derrick and said, "You and I are going to have a fun talk later."

"I'm looking forward to it," he mumbled.

"What's going on," Lenear demanded.

"It's as I said before," Jenna said, "there no way the Temporal Integrity Committee will do action to prevent this event from happening." Before anyone could protest, Jenna said, nodding toward Kathryn and Chakotay, "They are going to stop it."

"Us," Kathryn asked. "How?"

"Through substitution," Jenna said. "This is my colleague, Lt. Cmdr. Derrick Johnson. He'll explain it to you."

"A substitution is just what it sounds like. We are going to replace the two of you with two otherwise influential people so that you are in a position to stop this from happening."

"You're going to replace us with people," Chakotay asked. "How's that work?"

"What we are first going to do is get background information from you to see if any of that information matches anyone from that era."

"Background information," Kathryn asked. "We already gave that to you."

"We want specifics," Derrick explained. "Names of parents, pets, geographical location you grew up in. There is a weird temporal phenomenon we've discovered that," he paused, trying to think of the right words, "repeats people every few centuries. If there is a repeat of the two of you, it would make things much easier."

"Time repeats people," Lenear said. "And I thought they'd have a hard time believing our story."

"Truth is usually stranger than fiction," Jenna said.

"If there are no matches," Derrick continued, "than we will search for the closest replacement possible."

"How will we become influential enough to stop this from happening," Kathryn asked.

"Remember that alternate timeline property I mentioned," Jenna asked. When they nodded, she continued, "That comes into play here. There are a lot of details that even I don't understand, but basically, we'll look into what you've described and see if is unique to our timeline. If so, we'll look for differences between our universe and one that it didn't happen in. Then, we'll see what we can do to copy it."

"This whole alternate timeline thing confuses me," Kathryn said.

"Join the club," Jenna and Derrick said at the same time.

"Look," Derrick said to Telsa and Lenear, "it's going to take us a few days to sort everything out, but there's some stuff that we need you to do. We need for you to come up with a violation of the temporal laws. This is just in case something goes wrong and someone outside of the council who approved of the substitution wants to know what we are doing."

"We'll give you a copy of the temporal laws," Jenna said.

"What if we can't find one," Telsa asked.

"We are very lenient in what could constitute a temporal violation, and if the background of the incriminating document is not of legitimate means, we would be willing to look the other way."

"The translation of that statement is," Jenna explained, noticing their confused looks, "'If you have to fake it, we won't question it.'" When Derrick shot her an annoyed look, she said, "What? You were confusing them."

"Get us the documentation by any means necessary, and by then we should have people to substitute them with," Derrick said while turning and walking out the room.

"Are we coming with you," Kathryn asked Telsa.

"No," Jenna answered for her, "you'll stay with us until we have everything sorted out."

"This may take some time," Telsa said to Jenna.

"If your government wants to prevent this as much as you say they do," Jenna said, rising, "then be sure to impress on them how it will be almost impossible for us to do anything until we get those documents."

"We'll do what we can," Telsa said, before she and Lenear were escorted back to their ship.

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Chakotay stopped there, allowing what he said to sink in.

After a few tense moments, Adm. Nechavey stood up, and asked, "With the court's permission, I'd like to question the defendants."

"Go ahead," Pellowa said.

"Is it your testimony that it was this temporal agent, Lt. Cmdr. Garcia, who had the two of you impersonate Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay?"

"Yes Admiral," Chakotay said.

"And why did they choose these to individuals to be 'substituted'?"

"We repeated them," Chakotay responded. "That and they were in a position to stop this from happening."

"Can you elaborate?

Neither answered.

Annoyed, Nechavey said, "Not silence again. Fine, I'll try a different question. What ever happened to Telsa and Lenear?"

"We don't know," Kathryn answered. "After they left the conference room we only saw them one other time, and that's when the dropped off the documentation."

"You never stayed in contact with the beings who rescued you," Nechavey asked condescendingly. "The beings who worked so hard to try and save Earth?"

"Our mission didn't involve them. Our mission was to stop the event from happening."

"I'm curious," Nechavey asked, "what are the details of you mission?"

Silence again.

"Your Honor, the defendants are once again refusing to answer any questions. I request they are both placed in a holding cell until they are willing to answer all questions related to this trial."

"That won't be necessary," shouted a voice from the back. "I can answer your questions."

"Who said that," Pellowa asked. Everyone's head seemed to turn and stare at the mysterious person. "Bring her up here," Pellowa ordered.

The crowd parted to reveal a Hispanic woman with her long black hair tied back. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black windbreaker with a blue and sliver diamond logo on her right sleeve near the shoulder and a Federation symbol in the same place on her left arm.

"Who're you," Pellowa asked, "and what information can you bring to this hearing?"

"I have many aliases," the woman said, "but you probably best know me as Lt. Cmdr. Jenna Garcia. Kathryn and Chakotay were under strict orders from the Temporal Integrity Committee not to inform anyone, no matter what, any details of their mission unless instructed otherwise by myself or Cmdr. Johnson. It is our fault they refused to answer your questions and stonewall your efforts to bring this matter to a conclusion. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we have our reasons."

"Sorry for the inconvenience," Nechavey repeated. "Is that all you have to say for yourself? You owe us more than that."

Jenna turned to Nechavey and said, "Who are you that I should do as you say? I'm here today to save Earth from destruction and out of loyalty to them," she said, nodding toward Kathryn and Chakotay. She then turned to them and said, "Something's come up. We're throwing the plan out the window and improvising. Right now Derrick and I have both agreed the best course of action is to tell them everything we can and watch the fallout."

"That's your plan," Kathryn asked, dumbfounded. "Just roll the dice and hope for the best?"

"Good analogy," Jenna said. "That's exactly what we're doing."

"How do we know that things will work out the way they're supposed to," Kathryn asked.

"The way they're supposed to," Jenna repeated, voice dripping with sarcasm. "The way things are supposed to end is little rock eating creatures are going to eat the Earth from the inside out. We are trying to prevent that."

"Isn't there a more, I don't know, certain way of handling this matter," Kathryn responded, just as sarcastic.

"No," Jenna said. "Haven't you figured that out yet? _A la mierda_ woman! That's the one thing you should have gotten in everything leading up to the substitution: when you mess with the timeline nothing is certain."

"Lt. Cmdr. Garcia," Pellowa started, but was quickly interrupted.

"It's Commander now, your Honor."

"Commander Garcia," Pellowa amended, "could you stick to the matter at hand? What do you have to add to their testimony?"

"I can tell you everything that led up to the substitution, why we chose who we did, and what we had hoped to accomplish."

"What changed," Adm. Nechavey asked suspiciously. "Why talk now?"

"Last night I entered my office to find Telsa and Lenear's heads perched on my desk." She made her way over to the stand and as soon as she was next to Kathryn and Chakotay, she said, "I think we can take this as a good sign that their people were less than receptive to calling off their plans for Earth."

"Telsa and Lenear are dead," Nechavey asked.

"Nope," Jenna replied, "they're perfectly fine, just out walking around without their heads."

"Sarcasm is not necessary," Nechavey replied tersely, turning and walking away.

"Oh I disagree," Jenna replied cheerfully. "A well placed sarcastic answer can help dissolve any tension that might be in a room. And from what I can tell, this room needs all the help it can get."

"Commander," Pellowa said before the fighting could escalate, "why don't you tell us your side of the events, picking up where Chakotay left off."

"Yes your Honor. After Telsa and Lenear left, Derrick and I started shifting through different files…"


	8. Discoveries

Took me longer than planned to get this chapter up, but the plus side is I'm over halfway done with the next chapter. Side note: I finally got one review, so I will now stop begging pathetically for one (I'll just stick to asking pathetically).

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"So when do we start," Jenna asked, walking into Derrick's office.

"We?"

"Yes, we. It was your plan, you have the connections, you get to help."

"Alright," he sighed in defeat. "The fist thing we have to do is analyze the files different alternate timelines to see what the difference is."

"I'm really looking forward to getting those," Jenna said with a sigh. "Trying to get anything like that, even with permission from 'the powers that be' is still hard to do."

"Not when 'the powers that be' control that information."

"That reminds me, just how did you get in with them?"

"It's a long story," Derrick said, rising from his chair. "What I have to do now is petition them for information. Once I'm done with that I'm going to interview Chakotay. What you should do is start going over Braxton's files to see if he mentions anything."

"Yea," Jenna replied drill on her way out, "I'll get on it."

She went back to her office and started through the padds. After a half an hour she heard a light knock. She looked up to see Kathryn standing in her doorway.

"What can I do for you?"

"I," Kathryn said quietly, "I was wondering if you needed help with anything?"

"You want to help?"

"Lt. Cmdr. Johnson came by and asked Chakotay for help, and well…"

"The walls of your quarters were closing in on you," Jenna guessed.

Kathryn responded with a weak smile and said, "Something like that."

"I suppose I could have some help getting through all of these padds. You can read, right?"

"My father taught me when I was five years old."

"Good," Jenna said rising. "Let me just refresh my coffee and we can get started. Would you like some?"

"Would I like what?"

"Coffee."

"I've never heard of it before."

"You've never heard of coffee," Jenna asked disbelievingly. "You really did live in the Dark Ages. Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To get you your first cup."

They walked to the replicator down the hall and Jenna ordered two cups of black coffee.

"Let me know if it's too bitter," Jenna said, handing Kathryn the cup. "Some people like to add cream and sugar, but I prefer it black."

Kathryn carefully took the cup. She spent a few minutes examining the dark liquid before finally taking a drink.

"Well," Jenna asked. "What do you think?"

"This is the best drink I've ever had," Kathryn said, quickly taking another sip.

"We're going to get along great," Jenna said, putting her arm around Kathryn's shoulders and leading her towards her office.

---------------------------------------------------------An Hour Later------------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, I think that's all I need," Derrick said.

"Are you sure," Chakotay asked. "It didn't seem like you asked me anything important."

"'The devil is in the details.'"

"What?"

"Don't worry about," Derrick said, "old expression. Go back to your quarters; I'll come and get you if I need anything."

"Ok," Chakotay said, standing up. "Have a good night." As he was turning to walk out the door, Jenna slammed into him, knocking her over.

"I'm so sorry ma'am," Chakotay said, quickly offering a hand to help her up.

"It's my fault, but don't call me ma'am," she responded testily.

"It's a big thing with her," Derrick said to Chakotay, "just roll with it if you don't want to see her freak out on you."

"Just call me Jenna," she said picking up her padd as Kathryn walked in behind her.

"Are you ok Kathryn," Chakotay asked, looking at her, noticing how she couldn't stand still. "You seem… off."

"That's what happens when you have three and half cups of coffee," Jenna muttered.

"What's coffee," Chakotay asked.

"The most wonderful stuff in the world," Kathryn answered.

"Three and a half cups of coffee," Derrick exclaimed, "I can't even drink that!"

"That's because you're a pussy," Jenna said smiling. She turned to Chakotay and whispered to him, "You're going to want to watch her; she's going to be bouncing off the walls. That and she's going to need to go to the bathroom, really bad, very soon. Just a heads up."

"Thanks," Chakotay muttered.

"I can't believe you gave her coffee," Derrick said. "Now she'll probably be addicted to the stuff."

"That's the general idea," Jenna said with a smile. "I need you to look at this. I found this in Braxton's files."

"What is it," Derrick asked taking the padd from Jenna.

"A picture of two people, the following documents is their basic information. Do they remind you of anyone?"

Derrick eyes went wide and he muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."

"If you think that's freaky, you should read the files." She watched Derrick as he read, and said, "Judging by your reaction, his profile matches Chakotay's as much as hers matched Kathryn's."

"They're names are even the same."

"Do you want to know the most intriguing part of all of this?"

"What's that?"

"Going on what I read from Braxton's notes, these two are the difference."

"It can't be that easy," Derrick said, shaking his head.

"Actually it is."

"Admiral Jones," Derrick said, snapping to attention.

"At ease before you sprain something," he said to Derrick before turning to Jenna. "We haven't been introduced, but we've been watching you and you've impressed us."

He extended his hand to her, and she took it asking warily, "Really. How did I manage the insurmountable task of impressing people who like to refer to themselves in the 3rd person?"

"During the war you exhibited many traits we find very appealing."

"Such as?"

"You know how to think quickly on your feet," he started listing off.

"If you don't in this line of work you die quickly," she responded drolly.

"You act independently, but at the end of the day you know you answer to someone."

"Don't we all?"

"You get answers you need without asking too many questions."

"People who ask too many questions disappear, or find themselves in a court martial."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Chakotay said tentatively glancing at the three officers, "but Kathryn really needs to use the bathroom."

"Go left down the hall, take the first right, and it'll be the 2nd door on the left," Derrick directed.

As Kathryn and Chakotay hurried out the door, Adm. Jones answered, "Getting back to the subject, you have been misinformed Commander."

"Really," Jenna answered. "How's that?"

"People who disappear, or end up in a court martial have overreached their authority. People who ask too many questions are transferred to the septic system sanitation department."

"Well that's a shitty thing to do."

"We also like sarcasm," Adm. Jones said with a smirk.

"Ok, who is this 'we' you keep referring to?"

"We are the ones who originally assign Braxton to handle this. We should have known better."

"Why's that," Derrick asked.

"We picked him because he was easy to control and manipulate. The problem was, we gave him more freedom and resources than he was used to. He couldn't handle it, and soon, it all went to his head. He just took any information he needed without asking any permission."

"Didn't you just say you have him the freedom and resources to do that," Jenna asked.

"Yes," Adm. Jones explained, "but we did not give him clearance to take anything concerning alternate universes. He was supposed to petition for that, like Derrick did. What you have there is only a tiny bit of information he was able to download before we arrested him. We're confident we will not have the same problem with you."

"How am I different from Braxton?"

"Jenna," Derrick whispered nervously.

"It's ok Johnson, it's a fair question. Braxton was a puppet. If we said jump, he'd ask how high. This mission proved to be too much for him to handle. He started overreaching and forgot that in the end, he answered to us."

"He was so much more trouble than he was worth," Jenna muttered.

"That's the conclusion we have come to as well," Adm. Jones responded. "You, on the other hand, are way too stubborn to become our puppet."

"And you think that's a good thing because…?"

"We need someone who can think for themselves on this mission, but also remembers their place. We believe you and Johnson can appropriately handle this situation. If you don't, you'll both wish you were Braxton."

"First," Jenna said stepping toe to toe with Jones while Derrick had a deer in the headlights look on his face, "nobody threatens me or my friends. Second, nothing, not even scrubbing the septic pipes, could ever make me wish I was Braxton. Third, I need you to get information for me."

"Excuse me," Adm. Jones asked, shocked she would actually talk back to him.

"You said Braxton overstepped his bounds when he started getting information he needed without asking permission. I need as much information as you can get me on these two," she said, handing him the padd. "I can't get it, because that would be overreaching, however, it is within your authority to get it for me, right?"

"All right," Adm. Jones said. "I'll do it, but don't forget who you answer to."

"How can I know if you haven't told me?"

Adm. Jones walked out and said, "The information will be on your desk by the time you come in tomorrow."

After he had left the room, Jenna asked quietly, "Who's the puppet now?"

"Be careful Jenna," Derrick pleaded, causing Jenna to turn around and face him. "They don't have a lot of patience."

"So I gathered," she replied, looking back to the door to see Kathryn and Chakotay walk in. She asked Kathryn, "Feeling better?"

Kathryn nodded, saying, "I've never had to go so bad in my life."

"One of the few drawbacks to coffee, I'm afraid," Jenna said, sympathetically. "If you drink it in moderation, it isn't so bad."

"Will I ever stop shaking?"

"Eventually."

"Do you ever shake form it?"

"Not any more. Once your body gets used to it, you stop."

"I can't wait for that to happen. I can't stand this shaking."

"You could always stop drinking it," Derrick suggested.

"Why would I ever want to do that," Kathryn asked, shocked.

"I hope you're happy," Derrick asked Jenna.

"Ecstatic."

"What's on that padd that has you and Lt. Cmdr. Johnson so worked up," Chakotay asked, trying to change the subject.

"A picture of the people we're going to substitute you with," Jenna said, handing the padd to Chakotay.

"Remember when we talked about people getting repeated? This is what we meant," Derrick said, watching their reaction to the picture. "I'd like to introduce you both to Kathryn Elizabeth Janeway and Chakotay, Son of Kolopak."

"Who are they," Kathryn asked, breathless.

"Starting tomorrow, you."


	9. Light at the End of the Tunnel

Sorry this took so long to get up, school and work have both been insane. As you'll read, I ripped the "Angry Warrior" story and changed it a bit, mostly because really didn't feel like watching that scene fifty times just to type it correctly. Sorry if you don't like it, but I thought it fit. I really appriciate the reviews I've gotten, and I'll try to hurry with the next chapter. Sad thing is I know basically where I'm heading, I'm just not sure how I'm getting there. It could take more time. Sorry. I'll type it as fast as I can.

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"One more time," Jenna said, draining her fourth cup of coffee. "What's your name?"

"Kathryn Janeway."

"Where did you grow up?"

"On a farm in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, Earth."

"What was life like growing up?"

"Mostly quiet. I liked to study while my sister liked to paint; she was the artist of the family. My parents liked to take us on camping trips, which I hated."

"What's your family like?"

"My father, Adm. Edward Janeway, was gone a lot growing up on missions against the Cardassians. My mother, Gretchen Janeway, is a mathematician. My younger sister Phoebe is an artist."

"What about close friends?"

"I don't have any friends. I'm too busy studying."

"Nice try," Jenna said, trying to take another sip, just to realize she was out.

"Would you like me to get you any more," Kathryn asked.

"No thanks. Another cup and I'll jump to warp," she sighed. "Back to the matter at hand: tell me about your friends."

"There's Mark Johnson, but I call him Hobbes, mostly to piss him off. I have recently become engaged to Justin Tighe, who had saved me from a Cardassian prison."

"Occupation?"

"I'm a member of Starfleet, science research division."

"Ok, that's enough for tonight," Jenna said, checking the time. "Tomorrow we'll go over more details about your personal life." At Kathryn's sigh, Jenna said, "Hey, this is the easy part. Just wait until we start going over warp theory."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I can't promise I'll answer."

"How do you sleep at night knowing we'll be taking lives from people?"

"I have this machine that will simulate the sound of the ocean. It really helps, you should try it."

"I'm serious," Kathryn said, standing up. "How can you do this?"

Jenna was quiet for a few minutes before softly answering, "Because I've heard what will happen if we don't do this, and it would be harder for me to deal with allowing that future to happen than to do this to try and stop it."

"So to prevent Earth from becoming a 'state of nature' you're willing to sacrifice these two?"

Jenna took a deep breath and said, "I know that no matter how Derrick and I try to pretty this up by saying they'll die anyway and we need to do this to prevent Earth from destruction it doesn't change what we're doing. You don't think I don't realize the human cost, the precedent we're setting? With this substitution we're saying that the greater good outweighs the individual. I think about it a lot more than you might realize," she sighed. "But this is a situation that calls for an unorthodox procedure, and well, you don't get much more unorthodox than a substitution. My organization doesn't like doing this anymore than you want to do this, but we have to."

"Why," Kathryn pleaded, "why do we have to do this? Why can't we just save them?"

"Because it doesn't work like that in this timeline," Jenna said, coming up to Kathryn and putting her arms on Kathryn's shoulders. "No matter how hard you try, you can't escape destiny. This is your destiny, no matter how much you try to avoid it."

"I don't think I can do it," Kathryn said, tears running down her cheek. "Every time I close my eyes, I see the faces of Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay and the life we're taking from them."

"Then remember the world you left. Remember how you found your family in that tree. Remember having your unborn child ripped from your stomach. Remember that by doing this, you'll be preventing that nightmare. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, you can barely see it from where you're at, but it's there, I promise. Don't run back to the darkness just because you're familiar with it."

Kathryn just stared at her in shock. "Wow… That could almost be considered deep."

"Yeah, well just don't tell anyone around here that," Jenna said with a smirk and dropping her arms. "I don't want anyone to know I broke precedent and have them expect it from now on."

"Will history forget the real Kathryn and Chakotay?"

"No," Jenna answered, "history will not forget them. If Telsa and Lenear fail, then we'll have Starfleet find their bodies, which would start an inquiry into the matter, and we could try to prevent the attack that way. If they are successful, which would really surprise me, then we'll arrange something. But I promise history will not forget them."

"I don't think I could live with myself if it did," Kathryn said.

"That makes two of us," Jenna said shaking her head. "Go get some rest, you look like shit."

"Thanks, I feel so much better," Kathryn said dryly.

"Anytime," Jenna said as Kathryn headed out the door. "By the way," Jenna said catching her attention, "Derrick and I have a meeting with Adm. Jones in the morning, so you can sleep in."

"Ok, thanks," Kathryn said and walked out. She made her way to her quarters, which was down the hall from Chakotay's. They were told that they could only see each other during meals and one 15 minute communication at night after Jenna and Derrick released them. They were told that if they saw each other anymore than that it would interfere with their studies. It was hard the first few days, but as the work intensified, both the mental and physical aspect of it, Kathryn had trouble staying awake during their nightly talks.

She entered her quarters and headed straight for her bathtub. With the exception of her talks with Chakotay, this was her favorite part of the night. She turned the water on, got in, and before she let out her first relaxed sigh, the door chime went off.

"Figures," Kathryn muttered. She gave the door the open command without getting up figuring whatever Jenna had to say it could be said with her in the tub. When she heard the door open she shouted, "I'm in here Jenna."

"You look comfortable."

"Chakotay," Kathryn said, almost getting whiplash from turning around so fast to look at Chakotay. "I thought you were Jenna."

"I gathered that," he said moving to sit on the edge of the tub. "She came into my session with Derrick and declared I was taking the rest of the night off."

"What's that you're holding," Kathryn asked nodding toward the padd in his hand.

"Permission from both Jenna and Derrick for me to spend the night in your quarters," he said handing her the padd. "I was particularly amused as to the reason why."

"Due to Kathryn Janeway's emotional instability," Kathryn cried as she read from the padd.

"I thought you'd react that way when you saw it," Chakotay said, barely able to contain his grin. "She said we needed to put that on there."

"I'm sure."

"Well otherwise the guards in front of your door wouldn't let me in. It had to be something that would be serious enough for no one to question," Chakotay explained. "Something with a little bit of truth behind it."

"Doesn't she know how to keep a secret?"

"She didn't tell me any details. All I was told was that unless she becomes convinced that you're onboard with what we're doing, she has no choice but to report to Adm. Jones that you're not stable enough for this mission. If that's the case, you disappear, permanently."

"So I'm in trouble because I have a heart," Kathryn asked.

"This is too big a mission for either of us to have any major doubts. If one of us breaks down after they've substituted us…"

"Now you sound like Derrick," Kathryn said dejectedly.

"Kathryn, I'm just trying to help you."

"Well you're doing a great job," she said turning away from him.

"Damn it Kathryn! Stop closing up on me," he shouted. At her startled look, he said, "If you keep closing up, none of us can help you."

"So that's it? You're all just abandoning me?"

"No," he said, his voice softening. He pulled her against him and said, "That's why I'm here tonight. I want to help you. Not because of the mission or the future, but because I love you. I haven't seen you for weeks and I don't want to lose you."

"We see each other everyday."

"You know what I mean," Chakotay said. "Talk to me Kathryn. We always used to be able to talk. Tell me, what's wrong?"

"I'm just having a hard time doing this. Every time I go over the information… We're stealing these people's lives, Chakotay. How am I supposed to deal with that? How do you deal with it?"

Chakotay sighed as he thought about it. "For me there really is no choice. There's a legend that was passed down from my people, about a warrior whose village was constantly attacked by neighboring villages. He lived his life waiting for the enemy to attack from every shadow, and no matter what happened, he could never find peace. Until one day, during his travels, he found a woman from another village whose family had just been killed by another tribe. This warrior took her in and watched over her as her wounds healed. Even though they were enemies, they soon grew to trust and love each other. From that day on he swore to do anything to protect the woman who had finally helped him find peace."

Kathryn sat quietly, taking it all in before saying, "There really is no legend like that, is there?"

"No, but it made it easier to say," he said with his dimpled smile. "I'm doing this because this is the only way I know I can protect you. And if there is some chance we can prevent Earth from turning into the world we knew, how can we not do it?"

"You do know that we're going to be separated for several years," Kathryn said, "and I have to get engaged to another guy."

"Derrick did tell me that," Chakotay said, "but he also told me the rest of the story."

"Really? Jenna stopped there. What happens after?"

"There's a reason she didn't tell," Chakotay said. "Don't worry, it'll work itself out."

"I hate it when people tell me that," Kathryn sighed. "The only thing I hate more are the early start we have every mornings."

"At least you don't have to worry about that tomorrow." When Kathryn looked at him questioningly, he asked, "Don't you remember? We get to sleep in because Jenna and Derrick have a meeting."

"I completely forgot about that," Kathryn exclaimed. "I'm not used to sleeping past 0600."

"Then it is my duty, to ensure your mental stability, to make sure you sleep until at least 1100."

"Any ideas?"

"Can this tub fit two people?"

Kathryn had pulled him in before he even finished the sentence.

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"After that day there weren't any other issues," Jenna said. "Time went on and we continued training them to be substituted with Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay."

"Your honor," Adm. Nechavey said standing, "this hearing is to get to the truth about who these two people are. Their story is beyond the realm of reason. I just can't believe that they were 'substituted' to prevent Earth's destruction."

"And I just can't believe someone as incompetent as you was promoted to admiral. That, to me, is outside the realm of reason, and yet, here you stand," Jenna said. Before the judge had a chance to say something, Jenna added, "Look, she brought up the subject, I just threw in my opinion."

"You honor, not only is Cmdr. Garcia story unbelievable, she's stooping to insults because she cannot back up her story," Nechavey said.

"That's not necessarily true," Kathryn said. "If we told you someone was 'repeated' from our time here, would that help convince you?"

"Could you prove it," Nechavey asked.

Kathryn turned to Jenna, who said, "Don't look at me, you brought this up and I've never been to your time."

"Is someone repeated here," asked the judge.

"Yes," Kathryn said, "Rakel."

"Anyone we know," Nechavey asked.

"Yes," Kathryn said, "you." At her stunned silence, Kathryn continued, "It makes sense, she tried to ruin my life, you're trying to ruin my life…"

"I'm doing it for the good of the Federation!"

"And you're just protect what's yours, right?"

"Alright, that's enough," Jenna said, cutting off Nechavey's angry response. "We have a lot to do, and we don't have time for you and Nechavey to have a bitch fit. Oh, and Nechavey, she has a point."

At Nechavey's glare, Pellowa interjected, "Commander, could you please continue with your story."

"Of course your honor," Jenna said. "After we finished their training, we were ready to substitute them…"

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"Ok, do you have any questions," Derrick asked Kathryn.

"How are they going to find me," Kathryn asked, voice shaking. She was dressed in Starfleet science officer's uniform, getting briefed by Derrick while Jenna manned the helm of the shuttle.

"We're going to put a cloaking device around the crash site," Derrick answered, "and you'll be placed far enough away from it they won't detect it."

Jenna stopped the shuttle and moved to stand next her and said, "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you. We spent way too much money and time to make sure this mission would work."

"Thanks," Kathryn said, "I feel so much better."

"Good," Jenna said pulling something out of a case next to her.

"What's that," Kathryn asked nervously.

"This is going to knock you out," Jenna said. "Calm down, we need to make it look like you were actually in a shuttle accident, so we're knocking you out so you don't feel anything." Just as Kathryn started to panic, Jenna grabbed her arms, forced Kathryn to look into her eyes and said, "Trust me. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"How can you say that if you're leaving me? I don't want to do this on my own."

"Be careful what you wish for Ensign," Jenna said as she brought the hypospray up to Kathryn's neck and knocked her out. "Alright Derrick, you know what to do," she said with a sigh.

After he was done creating burns and bruises on Kathryn, Derrick transported Kathryn and Jenna down to the planet's surface.

Jenna placed Kathryn's body down on the ground and placed a signal amplifier in her combage before moving down to the crash site. She set up the cloaking device and signaled Derrick to transport her back to the shuttle.

"Is the cloaking device up and running," Derrick asked without looking up from the shuttle controls.

"Yes," Jenna said taking the seat next to him.

"Do I detect a note of hostility?"

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing, Derrick," she asked, turning to face him.

"Isn't it a little late to be asking this question?"

"I know, I know. It's just that I've been finding it harder and harder to sleep lately…"

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, but I probably should," she said with a sigh.

"Look, I'll cancel the meeting with Chakotay and I'll meet up with you after your shift, ok?"

"Don't cancel with him," Jenna said. "Something tells me I may be pulling a double shift tonight."

"Whatever you say, 'Dr. Hanson'," Derrick said as he turned on the ship's cloaking device and made his way past the Starfleet ship that was responding to Adm. Janeway's distress call.


	10. Test Results

A/N: Sorry this took so long to write. A combination of writer's block and multiple tests and papers made this take longer than planned. This chapter did seem to take on a life of itself and started leading this story in a direction I didn't plan on taking it. Funny how things can happen like that. Anyway, enjoy.

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"I want to see her," Chakotay said as soon as Derrick entered the house they were renting.

"We've been over this," Derrick patiently explained. "Once the substitution has been made, seeing each other would only interfere…"

"I just want to see her," Chakotay said. "You said that before his capture, the guy I'm impersonating was a member of Starfleet. I can say we shared a class and I wanted to see if she was alright."

"Ok, what class?"

"I don't know," he said, "history."

"What kind of history?"

"American," Chakotay made up.

"What section? What professor? What time was the class? Did Kathryn Janeway or Chakotay even take American History?"

"I don't know," Chakotay shouted. "I just want to see her, one more time. She'll be gone from my life for over a decade. I just want to see her one last time."

"I'm sorry Chakotay," Derrick said.

"What if it was Jenna?"

"What if what was Jenna?"

"What if it was Jenna lying in that hospital bed and you knew you weren't going to see her again for years. Would you still just let her go without one more chance to see her?"

"Chakotay, there's a difference," Derrick explained, throat suddenly tight, "Jenna and I are just friends. We're two of 23 people we graduated that made through the war. I have the same bond with the other 21 surviving members."

"Sure you do," Chakotay said, walking away angrily.

"You're a nurse at the hospital," Derrick said, causing Chakotay to stop cold. When he turned to face Derrick, he continued saying, "You're just out of medical school and I'm the nurse you're reporting to."

"Thank you," Chakotay said.

"Don't thank me just yet," Derrick sighed. "Jenna is gonna kill both of us for doing this."

"It'll be worth it," Chakotay said. "When can we go?"

Derrick checked the time and said, "The ship Kathryn's arriving on won't be here for another hour. That'll give us time to get us both a uniform."

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"Dr. Hanson," someone yelled. Jenna turned around to see Dr. Parker, her superior at the hospital, hurrying towards her.

"Dr. Parker," Jenna said, turning around, "what can I do for you?"

"I hate to have you do something this politically involved your first week, but I need you to handle this situation. We've got a ship coming in with a badly injured ensign on board. I want you to take a look at her."

"Sure," Jenna said. "What's so politically involved about that?"

"She's the daughter of an influential admiral. She was on a mission with her father and one other Starfleet Officer when the shuttle they were on started having engine problems. They sent out a distress call that was picked up by the Enterprise. The rescue party they sent down couldn't find the crash site, and she's the only survivor. They did, however, find proof that she had been transported to the surface."

"An emergency transport," Jenna asked.

"That's what we believe."

"It is strange that you haven't found a crash site, but depending on what went wrong on that shuttle, maybe there was nothing left to crash. If there was a warp core overload, then they would have had only seconds to try and beam down to the planet."

"Would this theory come from your time as a field medic during the conflict with the Cardassians," Dr. Parker asked with a small smile.

"Sorry," Jenna said, returning the smile, "force of habit."

"Don't worry about it. Starfleet has thought about that scenario and is looking into it. What I need you to do is scan Ensign Janeway and make sure her bio scans match what's file."

"Couldn't the doctors on the Enterprise do that?"

"They did," Dr. Parker explained, "her scans and the ones on file don't match."

"That's not normal," Jenna said. "Could the rescue party have been given the wrong bio signs?"

"I'm hoping that's all it is," Dr. Parker sighed. "Anyway, since she's an admiral's daughter…"

"You want to make sure that this situation comes to a speedy and quiet conclusion," Jenna finished for him.

"You have real potential here, Dr. Hanson."

"Please, sir, call me Ellen," Jenna said.

"The shuttle should be here in fifteen minutes. I'd like you to meet them in the docking bay."

"I'll head over there right now sir," Jenna said walking away. She hated hospitals. She'd rushed too many friends to medical bays and hospitals during the war just to watch them die. Every time she entered one she started wondering what the point of life was if you're just going to end up dying. That question was soon followed by other deep questions, and one thing Jenna tried to avoid was being deep. Because once you're start thinking about deep questions, you have to analyze yourself, your life, your work. Once you start questioning your work, you're in a world of shit, literally, according to Adm. Jones.

She had arrived a week before with a forged transfer orders. They had plenty of contacts and could have gotten an official one easily enough, but she decided against it. Despite Telsa and Lenear's confidence, she doubted that they would be able to convince their people not to unleash the rafritzia on Earth. If that happened it would be up to Kathryn and Chakotay to convince Starfleet Command of the impending danger. If for some reason Jenna or Derrick believed they would be unsuccessful, the decision was made to allow Starfleet to find evidence of the substitution. It was a last resort, but even Adm. Jones implied that if it became clear that it was needed his organization, whatever it was, would not stand in their way.

As she walked to meet the rescue team that had Kathryn's body, she wondered how she had gotten in this situation. 'Ah well,' she thought, 'it beats going over the rest of Braxton's files.'

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"The uniform fits," Chakotay said stepping in front of Derrick, who was also wearing a Starfleet medical uniform.

"Good," Derrick said. "Alright, I called in some favors, so we're good to go. Here are your credentials and name badge."

"Jose," Chakotay asked. "I've gone from a Native American to a Mexican."

"You're dark skin allows you to pass for both. It's best for you to try and distance yourself from the real Chakotay right now."

"I can't even pronounce my last name. How about you Derrick?"

"That's Nurse Daniels to you," he replied.

"What are we going to do about my tattoo?"

"I'm going to get rid of it."

"What," Chakotay shouted. "No way!"

"I'll put it back."

"Not a chance."

"It's the only way you can see Kathryn."

"You fight dirty," Chakotay said, sitting down.

"Stop acting like a five year old and be sure not to move," Derrick said as he picked up an instrument and got to work.

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Jenna had just finished switching the real Kathryn Janeway's DNA with Kathryn's when she was told that Gretchen and Phoebe Janeway were asking for Kathryn's attending physician. She mentally braced herself; having to lie to Kathryn's family was the part she was dreading the most. Her only hope was that when the truth eventually came out the families involved would at least let her explain why they went through with the substitution. She didn't expect to be forgiven; she just wanted them to hear her out.

She turned the corner, and before she was ready, she was standing in front of Kathryn Janeway's family and friends.

"Mrs. Janeway," Jenna asked the crowd.

"I'm Gretchen Janeway," said an older woman stepping forward. She was shorter than Jenna imagined and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Mrs. Janeway, my name is Dr. Ellen Hanson, and I'm your daughter's attending physician."

"Why won't they let me see my daughter," Gretchen asked. "I just want to see her."

"I know," Jenna said, fighting a lump in her throat, "but before I can allow that, I need to run a few tests."

"What kind of tests?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question right now."

"Why not," Gretchen asked, starting to become hysterical.

"Mrs. Janeway, I'm working as fast as I can. I would prefer to wait until I have the test results before I answer your questions. Believe me when I tell you I wouldn't hold this information back unless there was a good reason."

"It's going to be ok mom," a woman said, hugging Gretchen Janeway from behind.

"Are you Phoebe Janeway," Jenna asked her.

"Yes I am."

"Could I have a moment alone?"

"Sure," she said nervously as she let go of her mother and followed Jenna.

They walked out of hearing distance of the others before Jenna turned to Phoebe and said, "I need to make sure your mother isn't alone when she gets the test results."

"Ok, why?"

Jenna looked at the wall and gathered her thoughts. She had already decided that it would be in her best interest if she could have an ally in the Janeway family, and Phoebe seemed like her best bet. Now, she just had to decide how much she was going to tell her.

"I can't tell you any of the specifics yet," Jenna started slowly, "but suffice it to say, there have been some questions raised about whether or not that's your sister."

"What are you saying," Phoebe demanded.

"It could be a simple processing error," Jenna said, "or it could be a misidentification. We don't know, that's why we're running the tests."

"Why are you telling me this," Phoebe said after she had a minute to catch her breath.

"Because I don't think your mother could handle that news just yet. She was already told she lost her husband and future son in law. How do you think she'd react if we told her we weren't sure that was her daughter in that room?"

"So why are you telling me," Phoebe asked again.

"In case I need help breaking the news to your mother."

"Do you think that there was a misidentification," Phoebe asked, her eyes begging Jenna for an answer.

"I think," Jenna said, "that I need the test results before I can say anything for sure."

"How much longer before the results," Phoebe asked as they made their way back to the crowd in front of Kathryn's room.

"Maybe ten minutes," Jenna answered.

"What am I going to tell my mother we were talking about?"

"Tell her I was asking for some clarification on your family's medical history and I didn't think she was in a strong enough state to do that."

Phoebe gave a rueful laugh and said, "If I tell her that the whole hospital will hear her yelling."

"Which would you prefer: the despair in her eyes right now or the thought of her anger?"

"You have a point," Phoebe sighed.

By the time they made it back to the group she saw a man she recognized as Adm. Paris standing with Gretchen Janeway. 'Horse shit,' Jenna thought to herself. Things just got interesting.

"Are you Dr. Hanson," He demanded as she and Phoebe got close.

"Yes sir, can I help you?"

"You can start by answering why you won't let Gretchen see her daughter."

"Owen, please," Gretchen said. He just ignored her and continued to press Jenna.

"Listen, Admiral," Jenna said unflinching under his harsh glare, "there are reasons why I gave the order that I did. If you have any questions, please see Dr. Parker. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to answer your questions, but my order stands: until I get the test results in 10 minutes, nobody but medical personal goes into that room."

She had a staring contest with Adm. Paris that lasted for a minute before he stepped away and said angrily, "Fine, but if 10 minutes comes and goes and we still don't have any answers I'll have your head."

"Get in line," she muttered as she walked into Kathryn's room. As soon as she entered she was so surprised by what she saw she momentarily was at a loss at what to say. She quickly regained her powers of speech, and said, "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Ok, now before you get angry," Chakotay started to say.

"Too late," both Derrick and Jenna said at the same time.

"Look I just wanted to say goodbye one last time," Chakotay said.

"You had that opportunity," Jenna said. "Do you have any idea how many things could go wrong with you just being here?"

"What if it was Derrick," Chakotay demanded.

"What if what was Derrick," Jenna asked, thrown.

"This sounds familiar," Derrick muttered.

"What if it was Derrick lying in that hospital bed and you knew you weren't going to see him again for years. Would you still just let him go without one more chance to see him?"

This was the first time Derrick had ever seen Jenna taken this off guard. Normally it only took her a few minutes to recover from a curve that was thrown at her, but this one really had her running in circles.

"You've got five minutes, but then you've got to go," Jenna said.

"Thank you," Chakotay said before giving Derrick a sly smile.

Derrick walked over to Jenna and said, "You do realize that this might give credit to the rumor that you really do have a heart?"

Jenna gave him a dirty look and said, "You are in so much trouble."

"Take a look over at them and ask me if I care, or that you do for that matter."

Jenna looked over and saw Chakotay standing over Kathryn with a look in his eyes that made her heart lurch. "I suppose it is rather minute in the grand scheme of things."

"Ok," Chakotay said, "I'm ready to go."

"Alright," Derrick said. "I guess we'll see you at the house."

"Wait, you two can't just walk out," Jenna said stopping them.

"Why not," Chakotay asked.

"There are at least fifteen people out there including an admiral who I'm not exactly friends with. If the two of you walk out and then I follow a couple minutes later I'm going to have to field quite a few questions."

"Do you have a better plan," Derrick asked.

Jenna sighed and said, "Tell me your names and I can act like you were in here checking on her when I came in and as we walk out you can give me an update."

"I can't pronounce my name," Chakotay said, "but here are the credentials that Derrick gave me."

"Here, take mine too," Derrick said handing them to her.

"Thanks," she said as she read the names on the ID cards. "Derrick, where did you get these?"

"I got them through Jimmy," he replied. "Why?"

"Did you happen to read the names?"

"Yeah, mine's Jack Daniels and Chakotay's is Jose Carvo."

"Cuervo," Jenna corrected.

"What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo are brands of liquor," Jenna said. "What's your next ID badge going to read? Captain Morgan? Tennessee's Finest?"

"That last one doesn't make sense," Chakotay pointed out. When he saw the look Jenna gave him he said, "Well it doesn't!"

"Look, it's not a big deal," Derrick said, "let's just get out of here and you can yell at me later, ok?"

"Alright," Jenna said grabbing a chart and gave it to Chakotay. "Memorize this information. You're going to recite it to me as we walk out."

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"I'm going to stand by Dr. Hanson's request," Dr. Parker told Adm. Paris. "In this situation it's the best call."

"But no one will tell us what the situation even is," Adm. Paris said. Phoebe just shook her head and wrapped her arm around her mother's shoulder. Dr. Hanson emerged from Kathryn's room with two nurses who seemed to be briefing her.

"Dr. Hanson," someone shouted from down the hall. A nurse ran up and handed her a padd.

"Thank you Johnny. You can go on break now."

"Yes ma'am," he said as he turned and left.

She concentrated on the padd, but her face didn't change. She handed the padd to Dr. Parker and made eye contact with Phoebe. She gave a slight smile and then turned to her mother while Dr. Parker quietly briefed Adm. Paris.

"Mrs. Janeway, I can finally answer your questions."

"Really," she asked.

"Really," Dr. Hanson answered. "The tests I had to run were to prove that it was really your daughter in that room behind me. When she was rescued there were some questions as to her true identity, which is why I had to run a series of tests to make sure it was really her."

"Why would they think it wasn't my Katie?"

"I could share the details with you if you like or I could let you go see your daughter." Without answering Gretchen jumped up and rushed into the room. "Excuse me," Dr. Hanson said to Phoebe and walked into Kathryn's room after whispering something to the two nurses she walked out with.

When one of Phoebe's aunts tried to follow Dr. Hanson into the room, one of the nurses stopped him saying, "Dr. Hanson has asked us only to allow Mrs. Janeway in at the moment."

Phoebe watched all of this, wondering what the hell Dr. Hanson was doing.


	11. Secrets Uncovered

A/N: This chapter was done a while ago, but I finally found someone to go over it for me. Hopefully between the two of us we got most of the mistakes, but we're not perfect. Be sure to review and tell me what you think so far!

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Jenna quietly entered the room and saw Gretchen Janeway staring down at Kathryn.

"Katie, can you hear me," she whispered next to Kathryn's ear.

"All attempts to wake her have failed," Jenna said walking up behind Gretchen. "If she doesn't wake up in the next 24 hours, she won't wake up at all."

"She'll wake up," Gretchen said, stroking her hair. "She's too tough to die like this."

"If her mother is any indication, I have no doubt," Jenna said laying a hand on her shoulder. "I've instructed that no one other than you or Phoebe allowed in here."

"Alright," the older woman responded, not really listening. Jenna left the room as silently as she had entered. When she got outside, she whispered to Derrick, "Alert me when Kathryn wakes up." He nodded and continued to stand guard next to Chakotay.

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Phoebe watched Dr. Hanson walk away and went up to question the two nurses standing by the door.

"I'm sorry I can't let you in," one of them said.

She was just about to demand why when she looked down at his name. "Cuervo? What's you first name? Jose?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Jose Cuervo? Did your parents hate you or something?" When he cast her a dark look she asked, "Why can't I go in?"

"Dr. Hanson's orders," the other one answered. "Ensign Janeway's mother and sister only."

"But I am her sister."

"Our apologies, Ms. Janeway," the other one said opening the door for her.

When she walked into the room she saw her mother hunched over her sister. Kathryn had burns and scratches all other her face and hands. Although that was clearly her sister, something seemed off about her. Phoebe couldn't put her finger on what it could be since she looked like Kathryn, but there was definitely something off. She kissed her mother's cheek and walked out looking for Dr. Hanson.

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Derrick watched Chakotay from the corner of his eye and could tell he was getting restless. He was used to sentinel duty from his days at Starfleet Academy. There you were given a shift and would have to stand guard for hours at a time. If you were lucky you would get a shift on a dorm floor; if you weren't so lucky you were stuck with a shift outside. After a while it gets boring and you have to train your mind to stay alert while you were busy daydreaming. Chakotay didn't have the benefit of the same experience and couldn't seem to stop fidgeting.

"You need a break," Derrick asked him.

Chakotay looked over, surprised Derrick had even said anything to him, and replied, "No, I'm good."

"Are you sure? Because you can't seem to stand still and if you need to take a walk this would be the ideal time."

"Well, ok," Chakotay relented. Derrick watched him walk away and gave a sigh of relief. All of Chakotay's fidgeting was distracting him. Now he could return to his stoic face while inwardly trying to figure out why he had "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo" by Tracy Byrd stuck in his head.

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Chakotay was relieved when Derrick offered him the chance to take a walk. He felt bad abandoning Kathryn, but Derrick was there.

These next few weeks were going to be the hardest on him. While he waited to be substituted with only Jenna and Derrick for company, Kathryn was going to be surrounded by people, one of whom she was going to get engaged to. That's what drove him insane. He kept a calm front for Kathryn's sake, but inwardly he could hardly contain himself. At night he would pace his quarters nearly going insane before exhaustion would overcome him and he'd pass out.

Then came the day before Kathryn's substitution and Jenna and Derrick allowed them to spend the whole day together in the holo-deck. They ran a program of a secluded pacific island, and it was one of the best days he had spent in a while, despite the shadow cast by the prospect of what was going to happen the next day.

As Chakotay continue to wander the halls, lost in a world of thought, he didn't realize someone was trying to get his attention until he felt someone grab his arm.

"Excuse me," said the guy who had grabbed him when he saw how high Chakotay had jumped, "I didn't mean to startle you, but I was wondering if you could help me. I was looking for Kathryn Janeway's room. I'm sorry I don't know the room number, I just heard she was here and I got here as fast as I could."

Chakotay's stomach lurched for the sixth time that day. "I'm afraid I can only give out that information to her family," he said over the lump in his throat.

"I'm a friend of the family," he said. "Katie and I grew up together, you can check with her mother. The name's Mark Johnson, but Katie always used to call me Hobbes. She used to do it to piss me off," he said, suddenly losing his voice. He brought his hand up and put pressure on his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. "I'm sorry you must be see this kind of thing all the time."

"Actually it's my first day here," Chakotay said, trying, and failing, to hate the guy standing in front of him. "I'll show you to Ensign Janeway's room."

"Really," he asked, relief in his voice. "Thank you so much. Do you need to stop and look it up?"

"No, I just came from there," he answered. He studied the guy walking next to him out of the corner of his eye. After they had walked for awhile, Chakotay asked, "So you two are old friends? You and Ensign Janeway?"

"Yeah, we went to school together. We weren't best friends or anything, it was more like we did whatever we could to get under each other's skin. Then in high school things started to change for me and I wanted to ask her out, but she didn't want much to do with me. Then she got into Starfleet Academy and with our paths diverging so much it was easy to stay friends. I didn't see her that often, just when she came home for holidays."

"What changed," Chakotay asked, his throat getting tight.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not honestly going to tell me feel nothing but friendship for her," Chakotay said stopping and looking at him.

Mark hung his head as he stopped. Shaking it he said, "Your right. I guess nothing ever changed for me; I was just able to tell myself it was easier to be friends when I didn't have to see her everyday."

They started walking again in silence, until Mark broke it, saying, "I almost asked her out the last time she was home on leave."

"What stopped you."

He was silent a minute before answering, "She was home introducing her fiancé, Justin, to her parents."

"Damn," Chakotay said.

"I know," Mark said shaking his head again. After another pause, he asked, "Am I a bad person for this feeling of relief that Justin is gone? I mean, I hate the fact that he's dead," Mark quickly added, "because he really wasn't that bad of a guy. She deserved someone like him, but I can't help this feeling of relief I'm feeling."

"I think it makes you human," Chakotay replied. After yet another silence Chakotay said, "Her room is just around this corner."

"Wait," Mark said grabbing Chakotay's arm, causing him to stop. "I know I'm not family, but is there anything you can tell me about how she's doing?"

"She's stable," Chakotay answered. "She suffered severe burns and was found unconscious on an ice sheet. Her injuries are what you'd expect in that kind of situation."

Mark stood there seeming to absorb all that before saying, "That's not what worries me. She's tough, she can get over all that. I'm just worried about how she's going to be mentally losing her father and her fiancé all in one day."

"It's not going to be easy," Chakotay said. "She's going to need to lean on people for support."

"Kathryn Janeway has never been the type to lean on people."

"Which is why she's going to need you more than ever," Chakotay said over the lump in his throat. After giving Mark a minute to digest that, he asked, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he sighed and followed Chakotay around the corner.

Chakotay watched as Mark left his side to go join the rest of the Janeway family. He caught Derrick staring at him with a worried look, but he just ignored him and walked away.

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When Phoebe finally found Dr. Hanson, she was sitting with Nurse Cuervo. They both had their backs turned, and as Phoebe got closer, she overheard their conversation.

"So I guess you talked to Derrick," Jose said.

"I did," Dr. Hanson replied, "and I talked to Mark Johnson."

"I just wanted to talk to him, to try and get to know him. I just wanted to make sure she'd be all right."

"I know," she answered, putting her arms around his shoulders, "and I'm proud of you. Not many people could do what you did."

"I tried to hate him, I really did," Jose said, "but I couldn't. I was looking for a reason to get rid of him, but his whole world just revolved around her." He brought his hand up to his face, and Phoebe guessed that he was wiping tears away, but since his back was turned, she couldn't see for sure. "I'm scared Jenna."

"Of what," Dr. Hanson asked.

"Mark," he answered. "I've done my research on him. He's smart, people love him, he's close friends with her family… What if she forgets about me and chooses him?"

Dr. Hanson was quiet as she thought about her answer, before asking. "What if she does? Would you let her go?"

Jose just looked at the ground and said, "I just want her to be happy and safe. I want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to force her. If she can find happiness with someone else, then I'll let her go. It'd kill me, but I'd do it..."

Dr. Hanson smiled and said, "Great answer. She won't forget about you, Chakotay. You saved her life, you both have a shared experience that binds you together…"

"Like you and Derrick?"

"Yeah, something like that," she answered with a smile. "Now come on, it's cold out here and I've still got to do rounds. Care to join me," she asked, standing and offering a hand.

"I guess," he said, taking her hand and standing. "I got nothing better to do."

"I love the enthusiasm."

He gave a weak smile as they both walked inside. They hadn't seen Phoebe because as soon as they stood up she quietly moved behind one of the posts out of site.

'What the hell is going on,' Phoebe wondered as she looked up at the night sky. She went back inside the hospital, once again looking for "Dr. Hanson." She was going to figure out what was going on and what they did to her sister.

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"That was disgusting," Chakotay said after walking out of a patient's room.

"Welcome to the glamorous world of nursing," Jenna said following Chakotay as she entered information onto a padd. "Why do you think I impersonated a doctor instead of a nurse?"

Chakotay involuntarily shivered as he recalled getting thrown up on three times in a row. "It's like I had a target on me or something."

"You probably do," Jenna said, still working on her padd. "They sense it's your first day and it's their way of hazing you."

"Did you get 'hazed'," Chakotay asked as Jenna handed him a clean scrub top from the bin.

"Yes."

"And did you have to lose your shirt?"

"Nope," she said as she went back to work on the padd.

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Why not?"

"I have better reflexes than you," she said, looking up. She saw Phoebe walking towards her and said to Chakotay, "Go back to Kathryn's room with Derrick, ok?"

"Alright," he said walking away.

"Phoebe, what can I do for you," Jenna greeted while pretending to be concentrating on her padd. Judging by her tense walk she was pissed off about something, and Jenna had a gut feeling it could be her fault.

"What's going on here," Phoebe demanded.

"What are you talking about," Jenna asked, looking up.

"You know what I'm talking about Jenna. You abandon my sister to have pep talks with love sick nurses and patients who can't keep down their last meal."

"Look, I know this is hard for you," Jenna said, feigning anger, "but your sister is not the only one on the planet. I still have other responsibilities and patients and… and… You just called me Jenna, didn't you," Jenna said, realizing everything Phoebe had said.

"That is your name, isn't it? I over heard you talking to Nurse Cuervo, or should I say Chakotay?"

Jenna studied the other woman for a minute before saying, "I think we should take a walk."

"What, so you can kill me and dump my body? I don't think so," Phoebe said walking away. "I'm going to tell Adm. Paris."

"And what are you going to tell him," Jenna said after her, causing Phoebe to stop and turn. "That on one of the worst days of your life, you went outside for some air and you overheard part of a conversation between me and a nurse? Even if you could prove Nurse Cuervo and I have some connection to your sister, you can't prove what that is. Now, I think we should take a walk because I want to make a deal with you."

"What kind of deal," Phoebe asked.

"I tell you the truth, or as much of it as I can, in return for your help."

"How do I know you won't try and kill me?"

"You're just going to have to trust me. I don't want to kill you, I kind of like you and I think your mother has been through enough without me making you disappear."

"Ok," Phoebe said, following Jenna. Before they went outside, Jenna stopped to tell the front desk where she was incase anyone had any information on Kathryn.

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"Is it your testimony that you confided in Phoebe Janeway," Nechavey asked Jenna.

"Nope, I just committed perjury."

Nechavey looked at Jenna as if trying to determine if she was kidding or not.

Jenna rolled her eyes, sighed and said, "Yes, that is my testimony and no, I did not just committee perjury."

"You didn't tell me that you told Phoebe," Kathryn said angrily.

"That's because it was a secret," Jenna said.

This exchange was missed by everyone else because they were too busy staring at Phoebe Janeway in shock.

Conscious of everyone's stare, she nervously looked around until she locked eyes with her mother. "Mom, before you get angry…"

The rest of her sentence was cut off when her mother tried to attack her. "How could you," she shouted as she fought against B'Elanna who had jumped up to grab her as soon as she saw the older woman moving.

When Jenna saw what was going on she quickly moved from her place next to Kathryn and Chakotay, jumped over the railing that surrounded the stand, ran across the court room, jumped over the railing that separated the viewers and the rest of the courtroom, and got between Gretchen and Phoebe.

"Mrs. Janeway," Jenna started.

"This is your fault," she yelled at her.

"Your right, it is," Jenna replied. Her answer surprised Gretchen Janeway enough to calm down. "I was one of the people who pushed for the substitution and put your daughter in a position she couldn't get out of. Hate me for it, not her."

"How could you do this, Phoebe," she asked her daughter. "Or you? How could you just erase a person?"

"We didn't," Jenna answered. "If we wanted to erase your daughter and the real Chakotay we could have, but we didn't. Now you can hate me, but please don't hate Kathryn or Phoebe for this. They just did what they had to."

"Ms. Janeway," Pellowa interrupted, "could you please come to the front of the court and give your testimony to the events that followed.

"Yes your honor," Phoebe sighed as she and Jenna made their way to the front of the room. "How is it you always seem to come off as a compassionate individual instead of the manipulative bitch you really are?"

"It's a perception thing. One person's compassionate individual is another person's manipulative bitch."

Phoebe went to the witness stand and stood next to Kathryn while Jenna jumped up and sat on the railing that surrounded the stand. At Phoebe's face, Jenna said, "I get claustrophobic very easily."

"Maybe we should empty the stand," Pellowa said.

"Except we all have something to add," Jenna said. "If you just leave up one person you'll constantly be changing witnesses. It really is just easier to leave us all up here."

"Your honor, Cmdr. Garcia is disgracing this proceeding," Nechavey shouted.

"Do you ever stop whining," Jenna asked. "Seriously, every word out of your mouth has been to whine about something. No one will answer you, I'm making fun of you, Kathryn has a sex life and you don't… honestly, shut up." Before anyone could respond, Jenna said, "Ok, that may have been slightly uncalled for."

"May have been," Phoebe asked.

"Cmdr. Garcia, would you please contain yourself," Pellowa asked.

"I'll try," she answered, "but it would be easier if someone else questioned us. It's just too easy to make fun of Nechavey. There's two other admirals over there, have one of them question us."

"Doesn't Adm. Paris hate you," Chakotay asked.

"Hate's a strong word," Jenna said. "You don't hate me, do you, Admiral?"

"I think what you did to Kathryn and her family is reprehensible and unforgivable, no matter what the reason."

Jenna nodded her head and said, "Ok, he hates me. So Nechavey and Paris are out, what about the third one over there? He hasn't said anything up until this point. I don't even know his name."

"Geaordan," he answered.

"Have Adm. Geaordan question us," Jenna said.

"Will you stop taunting Adm. Nechavey," Pellowa asked.

"As long as she doesn't talk, I'll have nothing to mock," Jenna promised.

"Adm. Geaordan, would you please question the witnesses?"

"Yes your honor," he said rising. "Ms. Janeway, could you please tell us about the discussion you had with Cmdr. Garcia?"

"Well, we went outside and sat on one of the benches while Jenna started to tell me about her first meeting with Telsa and Lenear…"


	12. Preperations

A/N: Ok, I just want to apologize for how long this took. It just seemed to be one thing after another and I just didn't have the time to write. Fortunately, my comparative governments class is so boring, I have plenty of oppertunity to write. So as an apology for how long this has taken me to post, I'm posting 2 chapters, with chapter 14 hopefully being done by the end of the week. No promises, but it shouldn't take me too much longer for that one.

A/N 2: Just wanted to thank Pierce for the awesome beta job. Nothing like another set of eyes to make sure you've gotten all the mistakes...

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Jenna sat next to Phoebe quietly as she took the news.

"So my sister is dead?"

"Yes," Jenna answered. "She was unable to make it out of the shuttle and died with your father and Ensign Tighe."

"Who gave you the right to allow this Kathryn Jennings to take over my sister's life," Phoebe asked angrily.

Jenna sat silently for a minute before answering, "I could tell you all about the greater good; that by doing this it will prevent the Earth from imploding, but I'm guessing that it's not going to mean all that much to you."

"Not really," she said.

"Then I don't have an answer for you."

"Was there any way you could have saved her?"

"Our rules don't allow us to interfere with these kinds of events."

"But you can replace people-"

"Substitute. The word is substitute."

"Fine, you can substitute people, but you can't interfere?"

"I don't make the rules, I just follow them."

"This isn't fair…"

"Tell me about it. It would just be easier to blast the ship before it even enters the Sol System, but instead I have to do all this. I have to let innocent people die, I have to lie to grieving families, I have to bribe officials to look the other way… Nobody has it easy."

"Blast what ship?"

"The one that transports the rafritzia to Earth's core."

"What's rafritzia?"

"Beings who will eat Earth from the inside out."

"Come again?"

"That's why Earth is going to implode in the 49th century."

Phoebe stared at her with an incredulous look before saying, "I… wow… I'm going to stop asking questions now."

"Oh but you've missed the best part. Ask me about their excrement."

"No thanks, if it's all the same to you. I think I'm better off not knowing, actually…"

"Eh, probably," Jenna said.

Just then Derrick came out and said, "Kathryn's awake. I left Chakotay guarding the door, but he asked me to hurry."

"Great, Derrick, I'd like you to meet Phoebe Janeway," She said standing, revealing the woman sitting next to her.

"I… um… what?"

"Isn't he cute when he stutters," Jenna asked Phoebe with a smile. "It's ok, I told her everything."

"You did what? Jenna are you nuts?"

"She over heard me talking to Chakotay earlier and pieced some of it together. It was unavoidable."

"I'm not going to tell," Phoebe said, "and I can help you by helping the person impersonating my sister."

Derrick forced Phoebe a smile as he grabbed Jenna's arm and pulled her towards him. "Are you sure this is a good idea," he whispered in her ear, "because this could have some nasty consequences."

"You worry too much," Jenna said, pulling her arm away. Then she turned to Phoebe and said, "You'd better stay out here for a minute and compose yourself. Derrick will wait out here with you."

"You should probably call me Jack while we're here," he said as he awkwardly sat down.

As Phoebe nodded, she looked at his name tag. "Jack Daniels? Your alias is Jack Daniels? Are an alcoholic or something?"

"You are so never going to live this down," Jenna said tauntingly as she made her way back into the hospital.

They sat there quietly for a few moments before Phoebe asked, "Whose call was it to do the substitution?"

"I can't say," Derrick answered.

"Come on," Phoebe said annoyed. "Who am I going to tell?"

"You misunderstand. It's not that I've been forbidden to tell you, it's that I honestly don't know. I first thought it was my idea, but it turns out that this has been in the works for a while."

"How do you sleep at night?"

"I replay the first conversation we had with Kathryn and Chakotay. If you heard about their way of life, the struggles they had, and that we could prevent it… I saw no other option and I still don't. Jenna, on the other hand, well, the guilt is starting to get to her, but that may be because she's had to deal more directly with Kathryn's family."

"Good," Phoebe said. "At least someone around here has a conscious."

"I'm not going to waste my time trying to tell you to look at the big picture, because I doubt you care. So instead, think about your mother."

"What about her?"

"How bad would she be hurting right now if she believed she lost her husband and her daughter?"

Phoebe thought about what Derrick had said before giving a worn out sigh. "I should get to Kathryn's room. Mom will notice after a while if I'm not there."

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"Kathryn was in the hospital for a few more days before she was released," Phoebe said.

"Since we have detailed records of the events following Kathryn Janeway's hospitalization, could you please share your story Chakotay?"

"Yes sir," Chakotay replied. "After Kathryn's substitution Jenna, Derrick, and I had nothing to do but wait for my substitution…"

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2370 - 12 years after Kathryn's substitution

Chakotay walked out of his quarters to see Derrick sitting at a nasty looking table reading a data padd. They had boarded this ship a week ago, using the cover as a cargo ship to cross into the demilitarized zone to substitute Chakotay.

After they had substituted Kathryn, Chakotay had a hard time adjusting to life without her. But after a while, things got easier, mostly because he was worked so hard most nights he was too exhausted to do anything else but sleep. His life was dominated learning strategies needed to survive in the Maquis as well as everything the real Chakotay learned in Starfleet.

After five years of training, he was finally ready to be substituted. He and Derrick left Starfleet Command, jumped to the year 2370, rented a cargo ship, and made their way to the planet the real Chakotay would eventually be captured.

"Where's Jenna today," Chakotay asked, walking farther into the room.

"Probably out stalking Kathryn," Derrick answer without looking up.

"Oh," he said. "Have you talked to her since…"

"No."

"Ok," Chakotay answered awkwardly. He had nothing better to do, so he started walking around the room.

"Wandering around like a lost soul isn't going to make time pass any faster," Derrick said. "This is as calm as it's going to get for a long time."

"Yes, but for most of that time I'll be with Kathryn," Chakotay said taking the seat next to Derrick.

"You're assuming that her feelings for you have remained constant," he replied without looking up from his padd.

"Ah, come on. That's not fair."

"Life's not fair," Derrick said bitterly.

"Look," Chakotay said standing and grabbing Derrick's padd to get his attention, "just because you think Jenna turned you down is no reason to take it out on me."

"Can I have my padd back?"

Chakotay threw it across the room and said, "Go get it."

Derrick walked over picked it up, and when he turned around he saw Chakotay leaving the room. "Where are you going?"

"Staring at the walls of my quarters beats dealing with you in this mood," he said as the doors shut behind him.

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Captain Kathryn Janeway walked out the meeting feeling anxious and excited all at once. She had just been given command of a new starship, the _U.S.S. Voyager_. She had worked her whole career for this opportunity, and couldn't wait to tell her family or Mark.

As she waited for the turbolift to take her down to ground level she couldn't help letting her thoughts drift towards her fiancé. He helped her through one of the worst periods of her life, and she loved him for it. He never rushed their relationship, letting her mourn the loss of Justin. Although it wasn't Justin she was mourning for, she was still touched by his patience and did begin to fall in love with him. Not like she loved Chakotay, but she was happy.

But her thoughts inevitably turned towards the source of her anxiety. Right after receiving the news that she would get to captain _Voyager_, she was informed it was to catch a leading member of the Maquis resistance, a former Starfleet officer named Chakotay. Her once simple and happy life had turned upside down with the mention of that name. Her mind flooded her with memories of their time together, and although she had begun to convince herself she had moved on, she realized she really hadn't.

"Why can't things ever be simple," Kathryn sighed as she stepped out of Starfleet Command and onto the streets of San Francisco.

"What fun would that be," asked a voice behind her.

Kathryn whirled around to see Jenna, leaning up against the building, in a Starfleet captain's uniform. It took her a while to find her voice, but when she did, she said, "It's a crime to impersonate an officer."

Jenna gave her a dry smile and replied, "I could tell you the same thing." Before Kathryn could respond, Jenna said, "Let's take a walk."

After a few minutes of silence, Kathryn finally asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Jenna," Kathryn's voice betrayed just how frustrated she really was.

"That's Captain Oveur to you," Jenna interrupted. Then she sighed, "I have definitely watched _Airplane!_ one too many times…"

"I don't have time for this," Kathryn said dismissively. "Now could you tell me what you want? I've got a lot to do, and since I know I'm not you're top priority could you please get on with it?"

"What makes you think you're not my type priority?"

"Where have you been these past 12 years? Where were you when I needed you most," Kathryn demanded.

"Two steps behind, one step to the left, just out of sight," Jenna responded with one eyebrow raised.

"What," Kathryn asked, thrown.

"I was your attending physician when they brought you in 12 years ago, I was the officer in charge of setting up your physical therapy, I was on the medical staff of the first ship you commanded… Do you need me to go on?"

"If you were there, why didn't you ever let me know it," Kathryn asked, blown away.

"You needed to learn to handle these situations on your own, and you did. You've impressed us."

"I thought you abandoned me," Kathryn said softly.

"I told you to be careful what you wished for when you said you didn't want to do this alone, remember? I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

"So what are you doing here now," Kathryn asked, her voice getting stronger.

"Nice 'Captain's Face'," Jenna said with a smirk. "Seems my concerns were misplaced."

"What concerns?"

"I need to make sure you can handle the mission Starfleet Command just gave you."

"Going after Chakotay," Kathryn asked. When Jenna nodded, she continued, "Will I be able to follow the orders I was given? Yes, it's my job. Will I be able to keep my personal feelings out of it? I'll try, especially since he's going to remind me so much of Chakotay."

"It is Chakotay."

Kathryn gave her a dark look before saying, "I know his name is Chakotay, but I mean the Chakotay I know."

"That's what I'm saying," Jenna said, "this is the Chakotay you know."

"You mean…?"

"Jack's substituting him right now."

"Jack?"

"Sorry," Jenna said smirking, "Derrick."

"How did you get 'Jack' from 'Derrick'?"

"When you were in the hospital Derrick and Chakotay came to see you."

"Isn't that against the rules," Kathryn asked.

"Yes, but Chakotay was determined, so Derrick got them aliases and they posed as nurses," Jenna said walking again. "Unfortunately for Derrick he got them from a contact of ours who has an interesting sense of humor. The names he gave Derrick and Chakotay were two brands of alcohol, Jack Daniels and Jose Curevo. Ever since then, I've always called Derrick Jack just to bug him about that."

Kathryn smiled before asking softly, "How is Chakotay?"

"He's good. He's changed since the last time you saw him."

"Changed? How's he changed?"

"The same way you've changed, just differently."

"I really didn't miss your word games," Kathryn said, rubbing her forehead.

"That's ironic, because I've missed giving them to you."

They walked in silence again before Kathryn asked, "This mission isn't going to end well, is it?"

"I guess that depends on your point of view."

"Just answer the question," Kathryn said annoyed. "Is this mission going to have a good or bad outcome?"

"Both," Jenna said smiling and walking away, leaving Kathryn standing there with a confused look.

She closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh before she said, "I did not miss her."

"Liar," she heard Jenna shout. She opened her eyes to see Jenna walking backwards and smiling at her.

"Well, maybe a little," she amended with a smile. She stood there watching Jenna disappear into the crowd before she snapped back into work mode. She had a meeting with Adm. Carter at noon followed by a meeting with Starfleet's engineering department…


	13. Setting the Stage

Chakotay dove down and tried to control his breathing. He was transported down to the planet's surface two hours ago and made his way to the Maquis rendezvous spot. Although it was only two kilometers away from where he was transported, the area was covered with Cardassian patrols, security grids, and natural barriers, such as cliffs and a mountain range.

After he finally made it to the site, he found the shuttle, with the pilot and two other Maquis members badly injured, possibly dead, inside. He moved the pilot out of the way, and carefully brought the shuttle out of the planet's atmosphere. Once he cleared the planet's defenses, he got out of there like a bat out of hell and made his way to the Maquis base.

As soon as he landed, he saw several people who he recognized from the file he'd been given to memorize approach the shuttle.

"I need medical help here," Chakotay shouted at them. He watched one of them sprint for a medical kit while the other one entered the shuttle and examined her injured comrades.

"What happened," B'Elanna asked as Seska entered with the Med Kit.

"We were ambushed," Chakotay said. "Somebody told the Cardassians we were coming. They started shooting as soon as we got close. I gave an order to retreat, and the next thing I knew we were separated. I looked for them but…"

"It's ok," B'Elanna said, "you did what you could."

"When I finally made it back to the shuttle I found them, like this…"

"They're dead," Seska said, closing the medical tri-corder she was holding.

"No they can't be," Chakotay said, forcing his voice to crack. These were, after all, supposed to be friends of his. "Scan them again!"

"Chakotay," B'Elanna said, putting a hand on his arm, "they're gone."

Chakotay sank down on the pilot's chair and said, "This is all my fault."

"No," Seska said, "it's the Cardassian's fault. They're the ones who killed them, not you."

"But if I hadn't pushed for this mission, this never would have happened."

"How were you supposed to know there'd be a spy that tipped off the Cardassians?"

Chakotay looked at Seska wondering how she could live with herself. He knew from what Derrick had told him that she was the spy, and that he should watch her after they all got stranded, although he wouldn't say why.

"You need to shake this off and move on," B'Elanna said.

"Yeah, there'll be plenty of opportunities to pay back the Cardassians for this," Seska said standing.

Chakotay sighed and said, "You're both right. I just need a sometime to myself to recover from this. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"Alright," B'Elanna said with a concerned look on her face. "Do you need me to walk you back to your room?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I can come too," Seska said, quickly appearing at his side.

"No," Chakotay said, "they need to be buried. Could you take care of that?"

"Sure," she said, a hurt and angry look on her face.

After they had walked for a bit in silence, B'Elanna said, "She has a thing for you, you know."

"I know. I'm just not interested."

"Good luck," B'Elanna sighed. "You know how she doesn't take no for an answer."

Chakotay nodded and said, "Well, if she doesn't figure it out, you can kick her ass for me."

B'Elanna smirked and stopped outside Chakotay's room. "Let me know if you need anything." Chakotay gave a tight smile and nodded. Before the door to his room shut, B'Elanna added, "And when you're feeling up to it, someone new joined our group, a Vulcan."

"This should make things interesting," he said as the doors shut.

Chakotay took a look at his counterpart's room. There wasn't much there, just a bed, a shoddy looking replicator, and a bundle containing his prayer stones. He opened it up and examined them. They weren't too different from the ones his father had given to him. It shouldn't have surprised him that he was a descendent from the same tribe as Chakotay, but it did throw him a little.

He put the stones down and pulled out the communicator Derrick had given him, and after setting up a deflecting device so no one would detect him, he set up a comm. link with him.

"So I see you made it alive," Derrick said as soon as seeing Chakotay's face.

"So far they don't suspect anything, at least not that I can tell."

"I have a contact there who just informed me that no one is blaming you for the incident, right now, anyway. That could change, but for now you're in the clear. Seska's saying you do look different and you're acting strange, but it's being written off as just shell shock."

"Alright," Chakotay said. "I should probably go before someone catches on. I can probably expect random people showing up."

"Just remember: We may have been able to watch Kathryn, but you're on your own, so be careful."

"You got it," Chakotay said as he ended the link. He hid the devices among Chakotay's (now his) stuff, and then passed out from exhaustion.

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"I know I'm not at the top of your list, so could you please quit wasting my time and tell me what you want?"

"What is with Janeway women," Jenna asked, amused. "First Kathryn, then you… What makes you think I don't go out of my way to see you?"

"I just know you," Phoebe said. "Now seriously, what do you want?" Phoebe had been sitting in a coffee shop waiting for Kathryn when Jenna had unexpectedly shown up.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Jenna said sitting down. At Phoebe's glare, she laughed and added, "And to get an update on how things are going."

"I could have sent it to you later."

"But then I'd miss your smiling face and pleasant demeanor."

"Go to hell," she said sipping her coffee. "I have a hangover and you're not helping."

"I'll be quick then," Jenna said. "How's she doing emotionally?"

"Fine, the best I can tell."

"I remember you telling me the first week she was home she would say Chakotay's name in her sleep."

"Yeah, fortunately that stopped after the sixth month. Otherwise that'd be kind of awkward for Mark." After taking another sip, she asked, "Speaking of Chakotay how's he handling the engagement?"

"Fine," Jenna said looking around. She knew what was coming, and really didn't like the prospect of answering that question now.

"He's ok with Kathryn engaged to be married to someone else," Phoebe asked incredulously. "Was I hearing things the night we met?"

"No."

"Then how is he ok with this?"

"He knows something you don't," Jenna answered.

"What does he…," Phoebe suddenly stopped talking as a thought through her mind. "Is Mark going to die?"

"What," Jenna asked, surprised. "No, of course not! He's going to be fine."

"Then what could he possibly know?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, is there anything else I should know before I take off?"

"You should dye your hair black."

"Always the comedian…"

"Honestly, she seems fine," Phoebe said.

"Alright, but I want you to send me a transmission after your meeting with her," Jenna said standing.

"Why?"

"Because I know what she's going to tell you and I need to know how she's handling it."

"Alright, I'll watch her and let you know," Phoebe said as Jenna walked away.

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"So, Tuvok, have you ever dealt with a system like this before," Chakotay asked, giving Tuvok a tour of his ship.

"I have not. However, I believe that my time in Starfleet has given me sufficient knowledge to competently fulfill my duties."

"Alright, this'll be your station," Chakotay said. "Take some time to get acquainted with everything. If you have any questions, let me know." Tuvok raised and eyebrow and bowed slightly in agreement before sitting down at his new station.

Derrick watched from an overhang above the area where Chakotay's ship was docked at the Maquis base. When he communicated with Chakotay he referred to a contact on the base. What Chakotay didn't know was that Derrick was that contact.

He heard footsteps approach and stop next to him. He knew who it was; he just didn't feel like acknowledging her presence at the moment.

"So I see he made it through alive," Jenna said. When Derrick didn't say anything, she looked over and studied his profile. "You alright?"

"Fine. We should get going," he said turning and walking away.

"Ok, what'd I do," Jenna asked when she finally caught up to him.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Come on, Jack…"

"Derrick," he said turning and coming face to face with her. "My name is Derrick, not Jack. I did a favor for Chakotay, and to do it I had to call on a somewhat less the reputable source. I'm sorry, but I did what I had to and I'd do it again."

"Ok," Jenna said, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

"You want to follow the rules and stomp on people's hearts as you go, fine! But don't mock me because I have a heart and you don't."

Jenna waited for Derrick's breathing to even and asked, still with one eyebrow raised, "Where is this coming from?"

"Don't worry about it," Derrick said, turning to walk away when he felt Jenna grab his arm.

"Cut the bull shit and tell me what's wrong. I can't fix it if I don't know what's broken."

"You want to know what's wrong," Derrick almost shouted. "Fine. Two weeks ago I went to ask you to be my date for the Annual Christmas Formal, when I walked into the café to see you on top of Lt. Ryan, sucking his tongue out of his mouth."

Jenna raised her hands to rub at the tension headache that had suddenly appeared. "That would explain why you and Chakotay left so quickly."

"Since you obviously weren't interested in going with me I saw no reason to stick around."

"I was giving him CPR," she said.

"What?"

"Lt. Ryan passed out and had stopped breathing," Jenna repeated. "I was giving him CPR when you walked in."

"CPR?"

"You can check with Doc Robbins, he'll confirm it," Jenna said with a halfway amused look.

"I… wow… Jenna, I'm sorry…"

"And for the record, I wasn't mocking you. What you did for Chakotay showed a side of you I'd never seen before. I never wanted to forget it, or what you did, so I started calling you Jack. I'm sorry if you thought I was mocking you, because it's really just the opposite," she said as she started walking away.

Derrick just stood there with his jaw dropped and a deer in the headlights look.

After she walked a way a few feet, she turned around and said, "One more thing, I would have loved to have been your date for the Winter Formal."

Derrick stood there for a little bit longer until he finally made his way back to their shuttle.

He entered the shuttle to see Jenna sitting at the main console. "We've been given clearance to leave," Jenna said over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions," Derrick said quietly. "I was so nervous and so worked up about asking you, my mind just went out of control. You can ask Chakotay, not only was I a basket case, I was an asshole."

"What's your authorization code to start the launch sequence?"

Derrick sighed and gave her his authorization code. He turned and headed for his quarters while he heard her tap out the sequence and the shuttle start taking off. He felt her grab his arm and turned to look at her.

"It's not all your fault," Jenna sighed, letting go of his arm. "Acting like an asshole and jumping to conclusions is all on you, but it happened as a result of my actions, or lack of. I don't open up to people and I don't let anyone in. I'm the person people hang out with so they can watch her make an ass out of herself as she makes fun of everyone. I don't have many friends because that would mean they could see who I really am. It's easier to just push everyone away with sarcasm than risk allowing someone to get close."

"Why are you telling me this," Derrick asked.

"Because you figured out who I really was without me knowing it. Not only that, but you've chosen to stay."

"What can I say? You're easy to read to me because you're just like me, only different."

"Hey, word games are my job."

"Sorry," he said. "I couldn't help it."

"I'll let it go for now, but if you start getting kicked out of sensitivity training sessions, I'm gonna kick your ass."

Derrick smirked and said, "I don't think I'd be able to carry it off like you could. How many have you been thrown out of now? Four?"

"Five," Jenna said with a sigh.

Derrick smirked, and then asked, "Can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Could you call me Jack?"

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After a minute, Jenna realized that everyone in the court room was staring at her.

"What?"

"So what happened after that," Phoebe asked.

"Never you mind that," Jenna said intentionally avoiding eye contact and blushing slightly. "Besides, I think we've gotten sidetracked. Isn't this supposed to be about Kathryn and Chakotay?"

"Cmdr. Garcia's right," Pellowa interrupted. "Could you please try to stay on topic?"

"Chakotay," Jenna said, "I think you can skip ahead to when you got caught by the Caretaker."

"Shouldn't we hear more about the build up," Nechavey asked from her seat.

"If it had any significance I would have asked him to recite the events," Jenna answered.

"Wow, that could have been considered civil," Phoebe commented.

"She asked a legitimate question," Jenna replied with a shrug, "therefore, I give an answer lacking all of my usual sarcasm."

"Amazing."

"Yea, I know," Jenna sighed. "By the way, you were right. I do look better with black hair."

"Told ya."

"Commander," Pellowa interrupted, her voice filled with warning.

"I'm sorry, your Honor," Jenna said. "Chakotay, if you could continue…"

"My ship was being chased by a Cardassian warship, so we led them to the Bad Lands…"

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A/N: The next chapter is going to start involving Voyager episodes, which has extremely excited me. Hope you all continue to enjoy my story. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. If you have a problem with the story, I can't address it if I don't know what it is!


	14. Engage

A/N: Sorry this took longer than I thought to write, but I had to watch 2 scenes in "Caretaker" about 10 times each to get the dialogue correct. I know where I want to go with the next chapter, but that might also require me to watch scenes over and over. I'll go as fast as I can, but I'm coaching basketball and our season is now in full swing.

A/N 2: I forgot to mention in my previous chapter about my referance to Captain Oveur. That's a character from _Airplane!_, one of my favorite movies of all time. If you haven't seen it, I strongly recomend it.

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"What the hell is this," B'Elanna asked as she pulled out her tri-corder and started scanning the area.

"Why don't y'all make yourselves comfortable! We got plenty of food," said a grandmotherly type lady on a huge white porch. "Lemonade?"

"No, thank you," Chakotay said, causing the lady to move on to someone else. Ten minutes ago they had been in the Bad Lands out maneuvering the Cardassian warship when they had been pulled across the galaxy. Chakotay had been in the middle of checking the damage to major systems when they had been transported here, wherever that happened to be.

"Look, I don't want any lemonade, I just want some answers," Chakotay heard B'Elanna yell. He walked over to intervene before she lost her temper and attacked the woman. Chakotay was just as desperate as B'Elanna for answers, however, attacking their hosts didn't seem to be the best idea.

"So, nobody wants anything to eat or enjoy some music," asked the banjo player. He stood up, and no longer looked like a frail old man. On top of that, everyone had turned their attention to Chakotay and his crew. Suddenly, the farm faded and all that remained was a huge room filled with bio-beds with giant needles hanging above them. Chakotay turned around to see their "hosts" standing behind them armed with pitch forks. "If that's the case, we'll just jump a head of schedule a little bit," said the banjo player.

"We don't mean any harm," Chakotay said, "we just want to figure out what's going on and go back where we came from."

"If that's the case just git on that bed there, everyone of you. I don't want to see anyone git hurt, so just climb on those beds there."

All the members of his ship turned their attention to Chakotay. Derrick didn't mention this, Chakotay thought. The old man was serious, and he didn't have any other choice. Chakotay walked over to the first bio bed and laid down.

"Chakotay, what the hell are you doing? There are more of us, we can take them," Seska hissed.

"They transported us from our ship," Chakotay replied calmly, propping himself up on his elbows, "and they are probably the ones who pulled us out to this part of space. Even if we could disarm them, do you really think we could figure out how to these controls? We don't have much choice, now get on the bio bed," he said, looking around at everyone.

He saw the rest of his crew reluctantly get on available beds. The last thought he had as he watched the needle approach him was, 'Did I make the right decision?'

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Kathryn shook her head as she walked towards the entrance of the New Zealand Penal Colony.

"Not what you were expecting, Captain?"

"What are you doing here," Kathryn asked as Jenna seemed to materialize from nowhere at her side.

"I needed to talk to you, and I was informed I'd find you here."

"So you thought you'd just stalk me out here?"

"Trace, the word is trace," Jenna said as they entered the compound's transporter room. "Anyway, Tom Paris, not the kind of guy you'd expect after meeting Admiral Paris, is he?"

"No, he's certainly not."

"Don't underestimate him. He may act like a rebel, but it's just an act, along with his sarcasm. He only does it because he feels he could never please his father and so he'll do anything to get his attention and respect, even through negative means. Deep down he's just looking for a chance to prove himself."

Kathryn stopped, looked at Jenna and asked, "Where did that come from?"

"I had a mission once where our paths crossed. This was right after he got thrown out of Starfleet and just before he joined the Maquis."

"Look, this is all fascinating, but I still have a lot to do today, so if you could please get to the point…"

"This is where our paths diverge, albeit temporarily."

"Excuse me," Kathryn asked, confuse.

"Once _Voyager_ leaves DS9 I can no longer help you, so as of this moment, you are officially on your own."

Kathryn turned her back to Jenna and looked around the room as her mind started racing. After a minute, Kathryn turned and asked, "Is that ship coming to transport the rafritzia already?"

"No," Jenna answered. "We've still got about a decade before that happens. No, there one final test for you and Chakotay. If you both pass, you can easily stop the rafritzia."

"What if we fail our tests?"

"Failure is not an option."

"Why is this test necessary?"

"Because this is the major difference," Jenna answered. "The events that will unfold as a result of the mission you're being sent on are the difference between this universe and the universes where the rafritzia weren't a problem."

Kathryn stared out the window for another minute before facing Jenna and saying, "I'll do my best."

Jenna gave a half smile and said, "I have no doubt that you will be successful. You're too stubborn to fail. I just have one last piece of advice before I go."

"What's that?"

"Make sure you spend time with your family. It's going to be awhile until you see them again."

Kathryn watched Jenna as she handed her destination information to the officer working in the control room and stepped onto the transporter pad. "So I'll never see you again," Kathryn asked.

Jenna gave Kathryn her trademark smirk and said just before she dematerialized, "You're not that lucky."

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"I can't believe Kathryn let you throw her a goodbye party," Mark said as he helped bring plates into the kitchen.

"I know," Gretchen said taking the plates from Mark and adding them to the pile in the sink. "However, I was able to guilt trip her into it."

"How'd you manage that?"

"I told her that her father never let me."

"Wow," Mark said, shaking his head and smiling.

"No one knows how to manipulate guilt like Gretchen Janeway," Kathryn said, walking into the room.

"It's a maternal thing; you'll figure it out someday." Gretchen looked up, and when she saw Kathryn, she said, "Kathryn Janeway, what are you doing in that uniform?"

"I just received a transmission from Admiral Cutler that they need me on _Voyager_ right away." At Gretchen's look, she said, "This is outside of my control, I'm sorry."

"Duty calls," Phoebe asked, walking into the room, holding a camera.

"Unfortunately," Kathryn sighed.

"Well, can I at least get a picture before you go?"

"I guess I've got time for that. Where do you want it?"

"How about outside with Mom, Mark, and Molly?"

"I'm busy doing dishes. Besides you don't want me in the picture," Gretchen said.

"Are you sure you don't want to be in it," Kathryn asked.

"Go on," Gretchen said, again tackling the dishes.

After Phoebe took the picture, she walked away to upload the Photo onto Kathryn's laptop. Molly took this opportunity to roll on her back and get her belly rubbed by Kathryn. "Something's wrong with Molly," Kathryn said. "I wish I had the time to take her to the vet." At the word vet, Molly's ears perked up, and she started whining. "It's ok girl, I don't have time to take you. Looks like you may be off the hook for now."

"I can take her," Mark said.

"Really," Kathryn said looking at him.

"It's not a problem," he said. "I've already heard the 'Love me, love my dog' speech once, I don't need to hear it again."

"You've got this one well trained," Phoebe said walking up.

Before Kathryn could respond her comm. badge went off. "Ens. Thomas to Captain Janeway."

"Go ahead."

"Your transport shuttle to Voyager is ready and will be waiting for you in the Chicago Port."

"Thank you. I'll be right there, Janeway out."

"Guess this is goodbye, sis," Phoebe asked.

"For now," Kathryn said with a forced smile.

"Yeah," Phoebe said hugging her. "Good luck, catch that Maquis leader, and just generally kick ass for me, ok?"

"I'll do my best," she replied smiling.

Phoebe released her and said, "Ok, I'll leave you two alone."

After Phoebe left, Kathryn said, "So you'll take Molly to the vet."

"Yeah," he said. "I'll take her tomorrow."

"Good. There's some swelling on her stomach. Do you think it's something serious?"

"She's probably just pregnant," he said, moving next to her.

"I'm still worried, it could be anything."

He pulled her into a hug, and said, "Look, I know you're not any good at goodbyes, so I'll make this quick for you. I love you and I'm going to miss you, but I pity this Chakotay character, because once you set your mind to capturing him, he doesn't stand a chance."

Kathryn smiled into his chest and hugged him tight before looking at him and saying, "See you in a couple of weeks."

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One week later

Kathryn was in the middle of going through the mountain of padds full of last minute details and reports all needing to be authorized when her comm. badge went off.

"Captain Janeway, you have an incoming transmission from a Mark Johnson."

"Route it to my ready room."

Almost instantly she heard Mark's voice. "Katie?"

"I'll be right there," she said. She was still behind her desk while her laptop was on the table by her couch.

She had grabbed her coffee and a few padds when Mark said, "The doctor called."

Kathryn started moving even quicker to her couch. "And…?"

"And I was right," he said with a triumphant smile. He didn't win debates with Kathryn very often.

"She's pregnant," she breathed excitedly.

"The puppies are due in 7 weeks."

"Oh Mark, you've got to take her home with you."

"With me," he asked incredulously. "I just had the rugs cleaned…"

"She's with child! I leave her in a kennel while I'm…"

"Is this another 'love me, love my dog' demand?"

"Yes."

"How could I ever refuse you?"

"Thanks honey," she said smiling.

"So when are you leaving?"

"As soon as I approve these system status reports," she said, most of her attention shifting back to the padds.

"Alright," he said with only a hint of disappointment. He had accepted a long time ago that Starfleet was what defined her. "Then I won't bother you any more."

"Hey," Kathryn said, putting the padd down and kneeling in front of the monitor, "you never bother me. Except the way I love to be bothered. Understand?"

Mark gave an amused smile and said, "I'll remember that."

"See you in a few weeks. Oh, Mark, stop by my house and pick up the doggie bed. She'll be more comfortable."

"I already did. An hour ago," he said smiling.

Kathryn was just about to say goodbye, when the comm. officer interrupted her, "Captain, you have an incoming transmission from a Jack Daniels."

"Route him to my ready room, I'll be with him in a minute."

"Duty calls," Mark asked.

"I'm sorry," Kathryn said with a sigh.

"Don't be," Mark said. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

He ended the transmission and Kathryn brought up Derrick and asked, "So when did you become the raging alcoholic?"

"What," Derrick asked, confused.

"'Jack Daniels'?"

"It's a long story," Derrick said with a sigh.

"Yeah, Jenna already told me."

"Figures."

"Anyway, I'm busy Derrick. What do you want?"

"A couple things. First, I'm sending you information on things you should avoid on your journey."

"What?"

"We just finished up a temporal war, but several key generals escaped and are trying to keep the conflict alive. If you come across any of the readings I'm sending to you, avoid them or you're going to get caught in the cross fire."

"How many of these could I run into on my way to the Bad Lands?"

"Probably none, but you're smart enough to figure out by now that it's not just going to end there."

Kathryn sighed and slipped into deep thought of everything Derrick had said.

"They're going to be fine," Derrick said, breaking her thoughts.

"What?"

"You're family, Mark, your dog, they'll all be fine. It'll hit Gretchen and Phoebe hard, but they'll move on. Molly will have her puppies, and Mark will raise them, with his wife."

"His what?"

"_Voyager_ will be assumed lost, but he'll hold out for a while. But given time, he'll reluctantly move on, and find happiness. He'll never forget about you and will always love you, but he'll find peace."

Kathryn sighed and said, "That's why it didn't bother Chakotay that I was going to get engaged."

"Are you kidding," Derrick said, eyebrows raised. "He's been a basket case for years."

"He was scared I didn't love him anymore," Kathryn asked.

"No, he was scared you still loved him, but you'd rather spend your life with Mark and he ruins it for you."

Kathryn was thrown by that and didn't know how to respond when she heard her door chime go off.

"We'll talk again," Derrick said, ending the transmission.

Kathryn stood up, and started towards her desk when she gave the door the open command.

She was behind her desk when the door opened to let two men walked in. One was a very young looking ensign and the other was Tom Paris. Just looking at them you could see they were polar opposites. "Gentlemen," she said, "welcome aboard _Voyager_."

"Thank you sir," said the young one. Almost immediately he looked like a deer in the headlights while Tom Paris looked like he was trying to hold smother an amused grin.

Kathryn's mind shot back to a memory she'd almost forgotten, the day that Adm. Jones had walked in on Kathryn and Derrick after they found the people they were going to substitute Kathryn and Chakotay with. Derrick had the same look that Ens. Kim had now. Recalling what Adm. Jones said to Derrick, Kathryn moved from around the desk, and said when she was facing him, "Mr. Kim, at ease before you sprain something." This time Tom was unable to hold back a smile. "Ensign, despite Starfleet protocol, I don't like being addressed as sir."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said looking like he was mentally kicking himself.

"Ma'am is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer 'captain.'" She smiled at both men and said, "We're getting ready to leave, let me show you to the bridge."

"Did you have any problems getting here, Mr. Paris," she asked as soon as they stepped out of her ready room.

"None at all, Captain," he answered strongly emphasizing the last word. Kathryn remembered what Jenna had told her about Tom just wanting to prove himself, but had a hard time believing it. He just seemed too busy make a joke of everything. "My first officer, Lt. Cmdr. Cavit," she said introducing the three men, "Ens. Kim, Mr. Paris." She noticed how he readily shook Ens. Kim's hand, but almost completely ignored Tom's hand. She did slightly pity him, and started to understand some of Jenna's words. The sarcasm was an act used to push people away. '_No wonder Jenna saw so much in him. She's just like him_,' she thought to herself.

She quickly brought herself back to the present, and indicated that Ens. Kim should follow her. "Ens. Kim, this'll be your station," she said when they reached his console.

"Yes ma'am," he said excitedly.

"It's not crunch time yet, Mr. Kim. I'll let you know when," Kathryn responded as she walked to the front of the bridge and nodded to her second in command. She walked to her seat as she heard the orders for the launching sequence being given. Despite the knowledge that something major would go wrong on this mission, she couldn't help the excitement that was building as she gave the command, "Engage."


	15. Reunion

A/N: Sorry about the delay. My muse is an evil and elusive creature, but I forced it to get something done just so everyone knows I haven't forgotten it. Thank you Pierce for reminding me and helping to corral my muse and happy 19th B-Day!

* * *

Kathryn woke up on the floor of engineering. She made her way to the bridge, half listening to the ensign on the other end of the comm. As soon as he had mentioned the Maquis ship, her heart felt like it had jumped.

Her anxiety at seeing Chakotay again for the first time in a decade was only compounded with dread upon hearing that Ensign Kim didn't make it back to Voyager. As she stepped onto the bridge, she mentally prepared herself as she gave the order to hail the ship.

A million thoughts raced through her mind in the seconds before his imaged appeared. The only thoughts that she could clearly hear out of the chaos were: Do I still love him? Does he still love me?

The second his face lit up the screen and their eyes met, she had her answer to both questions. With great effort, she kept her voice calm and said, "Commander Chakotay, my name is Captain Kathryn Janeway."

"How do you know my name," Chakotay asked, playing along. He thought his heart was beating so hard and fast he thought it was going to beat out of his chest.

"We were on a mission to find you when we were brought here by the array. One of our crewmen is missing. Was he transported back to your ship by accident?"

"No, a member of our crew is missing too," he said, becoming concerned for both people.

"Commander, you and I have the same problem. I think it makes sense to try and solve it together, don't you?"

He would have said yes without hesitation, but he didn't want to give himself away. Saying yes so quickly would have drawn attention on both sides. He looked over to Tuvok, silently asking his thoughts and was relieved when he nodded his head yes. "Three of us will transport to your ship."

Chakotay ended the transmission and looked over at Tuvok and one of the members of his crew and said, "Alright, let's go."

"Are you sure this is a good idea, sir," someone on the bridge asked.

"Logic dictates that this is the best course of action," Tuvok said.

"I agree," Chakotay said. "Draw your phasers, but make sure they're on stun."

"It would not be wise to pose an immediate threat, especially if we are transporting to their bridge," Tuvok said, raising an eyebrow. "Logic dictates that…"

"I don't care what logic dictates, I gave you an order," Chakotay said.

"Very well," he said, pulling out his side arm.

Once again finding herself waiting, Kathryn felt fear and excitement taking turns punching her gut. She heard the familiar sound of a transporter, and could tell which silhouette was his as soon as she saw it. She also saw he was holding something in his hand…

"Look out, Captain, they're armed," the ensign manning the station behind her yelled, fear creeping into his voice as he pulled out his phaser.

She immediately put up her hand and said, "Put down your weapons."

When she turned back at Chakotay and glared at him, he had to fight the urge to laugh. He knew she was angry at him, but he had to do it. He'd explain it to her later, if she hadn't killed him by then, anyway.

"You won't need those here," she said. _No point in delaying the inevitable_, Kathryn thought as she walked up to Tuvok and said, "It's good to have you back, Mr. Tuvok."

He holstered his weapon and turned to Chakotay and said, "I must inform you that I was assigned to infiltrate your crew, sir. I'm Captain Janeway's Chief of Security."

Kathryn lowered her heard so she didn't have to see the look of betrayal play across Chakotay's eyes. She hated doing this to him after they had just seen each other for the first time, but she had to. She hoped he would understand. She heard a noise and looked up to see Chakotay grab the other person who'd beamed over with them to keep him from attacking Tuvok.

"Were you going to deliver us into their waiting hands, Vulcan?"

"My mission was to accumulate information on Maquis activities, and then 'deliver you into their waiting hands.' That is correct."

"I see you had help," Chakotay said, shifting focus to Tom Paris. He did not share Jenna's soft spot for the boy.

"It's good to see you to, Chakotay," Tom said walking towards him.

"At least the Vulcan was doing his duty as a Starfleet Officer. But you… You betrayed us for what? Freedom from prison? Latinum? What was your price this time," Chakotay demanded. When he didn't answer, he moved toward him when he hit something and was forced to stop.

"You are speaking to a member of my crew," he heard Kathryn say quietly, but with authority. "I expect you to treat him with the same respect as you would have me treat a member of yours." He looked over and locked eyes with her. He saw authority there and backed off, for now. This wasn't the woman he remembered, but then, he probably wasn't the man she remembered.

"Now," her voice said, invading his thoughts, "we have a lot to accomplish so I suggest we all concentrate on finding our people and getting ourselves back home."

"Based on my initial reconnaissance, Captain," Tuvok said, "I am convinced we are dealing with a single entity in the array. I would suggest he scanned our computers in order to find a comfortable holographic environment. In effect, a waiting room to pacify us prior to biometric assessments."

"An examination," Tom asked.

"It is the most logical explanation. Why else would he have release us unharmed?"

"Not all of us were," Tom said.

Kathryn thought for a moment before looking at Tuvok and saying, "Break out the compression rifles and meet us in transporter room two." She looked over at Chakotay and said, "We're going back."

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Kathryn looked out her viewport thinking over the past several hours.

She'd had no other choice but to destroy the array that had brought them 70,000 light years from home; at least, that's what she'd been telling herself, over and over, since she'd given that command. Maybe if she said it enough she'd start to believe it.

Her door chimed and she gave the open command. She felt his presence as he entered, and let a calm she hadn't felt in 12 years fill her before she met his brown eyes.

"I knew about Tuvok all along," Chakotay said without preamble. "I intercepted a transmission of his, and would have gotten rid of him, but I saw it was addressed to you, so I let it slide. After that I looked him up and found out the two of you were close friends. I didn't think you'd be too happy if I'd had him killed."

"Thank you," Kathryn said quietly. "I wasn't sure if you knew, but I didn't want to continue deceiving you."

"I figured as much," he said, slowly making his way towards her. "I'm hoping you understand why I had to have weapons drawn when we transported to your bridge."

"Yes, although I really wish you hadn't."

"I'm sorry," he said, stopping inches away from her. "I didn't mean to cause you problems…"

"It's not that," Kathryn interrupted. "I was afraid that one of my well meaning, but highly unstable crew members killed you before I had the chance to hold you again."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she was consumed by his embrace. "I missed you too."

"What are we going to do," Kathryn asked after a minute. "How are we ever going to get back to Earth?"

"We'll find away," Chakotay said, meeting her eyes. "I doubt Jenna would have sent us out here just to die."

"You're right," she sighed. "By the way, I'm going to need a first officer, if you're interested…"

He smiled down at her and asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? How would your crew feel about making me your second in command?"

"That I'm giving you this job because you commanded the Maquis."

"You're not afraid that they're going to think that I'm going to try and manipulate you?"

"Well, if they knew anything about us, they would know they have nothing to worry about." At Chakotay's questioning look Kathryn said, with a smile, "It was your advice that got me here. If you think I'm listening to anything you say again…"

"You're welcome," he said, pulling her against him again.


End file.
